24 year old Icelandic-Chinese singer-songwriter Laufey (lāy-vāy) has enchanted the world with her sophomore album, Bewitched, which debuted on September 8 of this year. Surpassing all-time records for jazz albums on Spotify, Bewitched marks the most acclaimed debut for its genre and achieved the highest streams in the jazz category, accumulating 5.7 million streams on its release day, as reported by Icelandic broadcast network, RUV.
Laufey’s musical journey began in childhood when she was taught piano and cello by her mother, a violinist. She began gaining popularity during the pandemic by posting song covers on TikTok, where she found an audience of both teens and young adults who were delighted to hear a modern twist on traditional vocal jazz.
Bewitched is composed of 14 tracks woven into a narrative story, centered around the various complexities of love. It features a medley of whimsical instrumentals, captivating lyrics and Laufey’s greatest instrument: her deeply timeless voice. Drawing inspiration from personal experiences, rom-coms, old musicals and musicians like Chet Baker and Ella Fitzgerald, her album creates a rich world of powerful emotions and classic melodies.
The opening track, “Dreamer,” envelops listeners with harmonizing vocals (“let me be a dreamer/let me float/I can see the whole world/from my own little cloud”) reminiscent of traditional acapella of the 1940s and 50s. It explores the singer’s longing to escape reality and live in her own dream world.
The eighth track in the set, “Nocturne (Interlude),” pays homage to Laufey’s admiration for Chopin’s nocturnes. It serves as a bridge between the album’s two halves. The song weaves together the thematic motifs, harmonies and tonalities from the preceding seven tracks, creating an enchanting composition that carries the listener into the next phase of the musical narrative.
Additionally, Laufey’s affection for classic jazz manifests in her inclusion of a jazz standard in each of her albums. Her rendition of “Misty,” originally written by Errol Garner in 1954, infuses her unique style into a familiar tune while paying respect to the song’s origins.
A fan-favorite, “From the Start” breathes new life into the bossa nova genre with contemporary lyrics and an uplifting mood. In one verse she sings, “oh, the burning pain/listening to you harp on ‘bout some new soulmate/‘she’s so perfect’, blah blah blah.” The juxtaposition of a traditional musical style with modern storytelling adds to Laufey’s versatility and capacity to connect with her audience.
As an up-and-coming artist, Laufey is casting a spell over the music industry. With her fusion of modern songwriting, traditional harmonies and orchestral layerings, she is reintroducing jazz and classical elements to the realm of young audiences, transcending musical boundaries. In an interview with Rolling Stones Magazine, Laufey expressed, “I don’t want jazz and classical music to have these reputations moving forward that they’re only for a certain set of society or people who are educated enough to indulge in it – I just want it to be the people’s music.”
Witnessing her booming talent, I am eager to follow her musical journey as she continues to unveil more from her vast reservoir of artistry.
