Laufey's unconventional blend of jazz, classical, and pop has taken the world by storm, encouraging fans to embrace what they love and chase their dreams, no matter how niche.
Words: Ali Shutler.
Photos: Gemma Warren.
"I just want to encourage people to embrace what they love," says Laufey, who's living proof of that attitude coming up gold. Over the past four years, the musician has taken the world by storm with an unconventional blend of jazz, classical and pop that's racked up millions of streams on Spotify, earned her a Grammy for Traditional Pop Vocal and seen every single show sell-out instantly including a dream-come-true gig at London's Royal Albert Hall. "If you chase what you love, you never know what could happen," she grins.
"There are moments where it's felt really big and a little scary, just because of how fast it's grown, but it's never felt out of control," Laufey continues. Touring has helped "dampen the blow" of her continuously rapid ascent, she says. Constantly finding herself in new environments, surrounded by new people, there isn't much time to think about what's happening outside of that. "And it's always so special seeing the fans at the gigs. That makes it all worth it," she adds.
Later tonight, Laufey will play the first of two very sold-out shows at New York's iconic Radio City Music Hall as part of a tour supporting the expanded 'Goddess' edition of her second album 'Bewitched'. But first, she's starting her day with a coffee and a morning walk through Central Park. "I like seeing the sights before the world completely comes to life. It helps touring feel memorable, rather than just a series of slightly different rooms," she offers. "It does currently feel like cyclists are trying to take me out of this life, though, but I'm standing strong," Laufey smirks, taking a 20-minute break from an otherwise strict period of vocal rest.
"It's not like my songs are super avant-garde. They're just the stories of my life"
— laufey
Since she released her debut single 'Street By Street' in 2020 and started uploading snippets of jazz covers to TikTok, Laufey has quickly built a loyal following of fans who have dived headfirst into the magical, glittering universe of Laufey Land. While those on the outside have urgently tried to figure out why music that harks back to the 1940s is resonating with a passionate Gen-Z audience, it's clear those actually at the shows are connecting with Laufey's vulnerable, relatable songs about coming of age, figuring yourself out and falling in and out of love.
Debut album 'Everything I Know About Love' was released in 2022, an intense, wide-eyed, broken-hearted exploration of firsts, while follow-up 'Bewitched' came last year. A woozy, theatrical record about love and independence, it saw Laufey dig deeper into her influences but kept the conversational storytelling flowing. Breakout track 'From The Start' is a frustrated, swaying song of unrequited love, while the haunting 'Promise' plays in the ashes of a burnt-out relationship. Elsewhere, 'Letter To My 13 Year Old Self' tries to find peace in childhood pain while the title track finds itself head over heels in new beginnings, embracing love at every turn.
"I always felt like the music I wanted to make was niche. I had no idea that this many people would be willing to be involved in that niche," Laufey admits. "But, it's not like my songs are super avant-garde. They're just the stories of my life and other people's lives. They're stories about love, which I think will always resonate with people, regardless of genre." Jazz and classical were the pop music of their time anyway, argues Laufey. "I find that so interesting."
It helps that Gen-Z are drawn to great songs, regardless of when they were initially released. "Audiences nowadays care more about relatability and world-building than the musical components," she says. "They listen to anything that's cool or different. Unique voices are truly being celebrated right now, which is so exciting," she adds.
