Everything I Know About Laufey

Written by Chelsea Johnson

Who is Laufey?

• Laufey (LAY-vay) is a 24-year-old Icelandic-Chinese-American singer-songwriter & cellist.
• She is trilingual & can speak English, Icelandic, & Mandarin.
• She is a twin! She has a sister named Junia (YOU-knee-yuh).
• A peek into the inspiration behind her aesthetic… “Junia’s vision, with Laufey’s collaboration, is a preppy ’60s schoolgirl-esque look with pops of French Yé-Yé — loafers, socks, pleats, puff sleeves — that her fans call ‘Laufey-core,’ and emulate at shows” … “‘We want to be fresh while keeping on top of those classic elements, just like in her music,’” (Judkis).
• Some of her musical inspirations… Shostakovich, Chet Baker, Ella Fitzgerald, Louis Armstrong, Bill Evans, Billie Holiday, Norah Jones, Taylor Swift.
• Some of her literary inspirations… A Secret History by Donna Tartt, The Summer Book by Tove Jansson, Jane Austen, Joan Didion. (Check out The Laufey Book Club!)

Laufey’s jazzy-inspired sound alongside her down-to-Earth personality are just two things that have made this multi-talented singer, songwriter, and instrumentalist, into a large figure for many young people, whether it be through livestreams on Instagram for her virtual book club, through funny and relatable TikToks with her sister, Junia, or through her music; heart wrenchingly poetic and bittersweet as she talks about her understanding of love, heartbreak, and relationships– Laufey has stolen the hearts of many who may consider themselves ‘old souls’, just like herself. She is endlessly inspirational not only from her many accolades thus far as a young up-and-coming artist, but also because she is a part of and catering towards Generation Z, the generation that is emotional and raw, partaking in trends indefinitely made for the hopeless romantic– being ‘delulu’ (being delusional oftentimes in regards to being in love), the romanticization of life, and many fashion trends– even going as far as starting her own ‘fashion movement’ called ‘Laufey-core’, inspired by her very own outfits that mimic ballet-core and coquette-like aesthetics; ribbons, ballet flats, delicately feminine blouses with puffy sleeves and intricate little detailing, skirts, dresses and sheer socks– dripping in pure femininity. (@laufeystyle on Instagram is a fan account that actually shows where Laufey gets her clothing from!)

        Discussing her many accomplishments, Laufey has performed with a multitude of orchestras, ranging from the China Philharmonic in Beijing, the Los Angeles Philharmonic and the Iceland Symphony Orchestra, alongside her brilliant solo-playing of the cello, guitar and piano. Laufey thus far has come out with three albums; “Everything I Know About Love”, “A Night at the Symphony”, and “Bewitched”, alongside her debut EP from 2021 titled “Typical of Me”, following many singles with talents like Dodie, Beabadoobee, and Norah Jones– all people who she greatly admires. On November 10th, 2023, Laufey received her first ever Grammy nomination for her newest album “Bewitched”, holding a spot under the category for “best traditional pop vocal album”.

        “Bewitched”, released on September 8th of 2023, is an extremely special album, featuring a beautiful cover of Errol Garner and Johnny Burke’s “Misty” alongside an enchanting array of personal songs surrounding many experiences that Laufey has since then immortalized in writing and song. The album as a whole takes on a crisp, aural manifestation of one's love life and reflection during the everchanging months of autumn; picture a steaming pumpkin spice latte warming your hands, the breeze cool as it nips your nose and cheeks, the warmth from a fireplace gently crackling in the background as you sit to read a novel, the falling of crumpled yellow, orange and brown leaves that satisfyingly crunch beneath you– that is “Bewitched”. To further promote her album, Laufey came up with three fun activities for her fans; one was a little word search where fans would randomly circle words that they thought would fit the track titles for her album prior to its release; another was fully ‘leaking’ her album to her fans through sheet music, where she prompted them to send in their renditions to her songs without truly knowing how they would sound on the actual album; and finally, two days after the release of her album, Laufey custom made multiple itineraries for a special day called “A Very Laufey Day”, where fans could follow through, in their designated city, a set list of things that Laufey personally loves to do when visiting (if their city wasn’t mentioned, fans could follow a general itinerary, made to ensure that everyone could participate in the fun-filled day). In Los Angeles, Laufey actually made a special appearance where she did a mini concert of her album for her fans, which was a very pleasant surprise for those participating. “My friends and I were crying or almost cried to ‘Letter to My 13-Year-Old Self,’ it was so unforgettable. I think it was super inspiring to hear her sing live and it was fun to go on a little girl’s day. I love going to cafes, listening to music, and taking cute pictures with my friends, so it was the perfect way to spend my Sunday afternoon.” (Annenberg Media).

        “Letter to My 13-Year-Old Self” is the second to last song on Laufey’s “Bewitched” album, which is, as the title clearly states, a letter to little Laufey. It’s a heart wrenchingly beautiful song about the many struggles that many of us, reflecting back on our teen years, can very well relate to, featuring lyrics like, “don’t you worry ‘bout your curly hair… I’m so sorry they pick you last… I know you feel loud, so different from the crowd… I wish that I could go back and give her a squeeze, myself at thirteen, and just let her know that she’s beautiful.” (Laufey). The song's impact has even caused fans, during her live performances at “The Bewitched Tour”, to pull out letters to their 13-year-old selves that they themselves wrote. (via Laufey’s TikTok, third picture). Another fun moment that occurred during her tour stemmed from the song “From The Start”, specifically relating to the following lyrics, “oh, the burning pain, listening to you harp on ‘bout some new soulmate. She’s so perfect, blah blah blah…” (Laufey). Fans would loudly sing along with the "blah blah blah" portion of that song (via one of Laufey’s TikTok posts), which was just one of the many ways that Laufey made this tour interactive, including the allowance of requests from fans and constant chatter to her Lauvers (the special name for her fans, pronounced ‘lovers’). Lauvers would constantly and consistently gift her vinyls from her favorite artists and composers, physical copies of their book recommendations, and cute stuffed animals.

        Continuing on with Laufey’s imminent down-to-Earth-ness, she also has a book club called “The Laufey Book Club”, where she reads a new book every month and encourages her fans to follow along with her. Once she finishes the assigned book, she goes live on Instagram to discuss it with her fans in depth, even going as far as to feature an author on her livestream– Jennifer Saint, who wrote “Elektra”. Laufey’s immense interest in literature alongside her inescapable passion towards jazz and music as a whole give such a deep insight to her character, and her presence on TikTok with her sister Junia only makes her even more relatable to her fans. The community that she has built surrounding herself is so pure and full of many natural talents, just like herself.

Laufey and Myself

        Throughout many social platforms, I have seen so many people talking about how Laufey has greatly impacted them in the most positive ways, promoting the idea of romanticizing life and having a super chic sense of style. I discovered Laufey in 2021, where the overwhelming struggle from Covid-19 plagued me and my scholarly studies, which took place online for me during my 2020-2021 school year in high school. My graduating year (2022), I started listening to Laufey through her song “Let You Break My Heart Again - Laufey & Philharmonic Orchestra”-- the whole experience of this song and accompanied video completely blew me away, and from there I was undeniably hooked to Laufey and her calming voice. I felt as though her songs were just for me because of how clearly I could feel her emotions through her words and enthralling instrumentals; I saw the world from a different perspective when listening to her music, making me want to pick myself back up again and recreate what I understood my identity to be, recycling it into the type of person that I once was prior to the many life-changing things that my younger self had to deal with and overcome. As many say about their favorite artists, Laufey changed my life. She is so unapologetically herself, and I aspire to be someone just like her. She is bringing back such a beautiful genre of music with such a poise and aesthetic that is beyond admirable and everything about her, from her fashion to her music, is like ear and eye candy for me.

        When looking up what articles are saying about Laufey, it is a constant talk of whether or not her sound can truly be considered jazz, and how she’s bringing this sound to our generation. And although those topics are extremely important, and were mentioned by myself prior, I think it’s equally as important to document and highlight the general impact she has made on her fans, her Lauvers, and how important it is to have an artist who is just completely and utterly raw with her fans and with her music. Looking past the numbers and the complexities of whether Laufey belongs in one genre or the other, I think analyzing her character and being able to witness the beauty that she produces is a once in a lifetime opportunity, and her publicity will only continue to sprout the beauty of her craft into the minds of thousands of others, who I’m sure may share their own creativity because of her, and I can indefinitely say that for myself. Laufey is one of the many inspirations behind my partaking in the art of poetry and poetic writing, which is one of my most effective outlets for my emotions and when reflecting on my past, just as Laufey does with her writings and songs. I truly can’t say it enough, but Laufey’s entire character is so revolutionary for a young woman like myself, and I truly feel such a deep connection to her and her music– so much of what I proudly do for myself and proudly wear for myself is thanks to her.

I think this world needs a lot more creative artists that are multi-faceted when it comes to sharing their many hobbies, talents and interests. It adds so much depth to an artist because you’re able to see past their art and actually understand where their inspirations come from, allowing you to connect with them not only on their art, but also with the things they cherish and hold dear to them, like their favorite books and artists, or little hidden gems they like to visit and explore.

Works Cited

A “Very Laufey Day” in Los Angeles. (2023, September 19). Annenberg Media. https://www.uscannenbergmedia.com/2023/09/19/a-very-laufey-day-in-los-angeles/

Amoeba. “Laufey - What’s in My Bag?” Youtube, 11th, October, 2022. https://youtu.be/hFefl21UMBQ?si=aiS3DKAcrO_dCsO9

ClashMagazine. “Book shopping with Laufey: Broadway Bookstore”. YouTube, 26th, June, 2023. https://youtu.be/Q_dFPTUue1M?si=HnqtJMcEpuO7WX6n

ClashMagazine. “Book shopping with Laufey: Donlon Books”. YouTube, 26th, June, 2023. https://youtu.be/IZ0Ivbeo9v0?si=lLfL6EOCX0Mz2aQS

Genius. “Laufey ‘From the Start’ Official Lyrics & Meaning | Verified”. YouTube, 1st September, 2023. https://youtu.be/p37qgi5lDnk?si=JH-mgfXOllk4Y-q-

iHeartRadio. “Backstage With Laufey!” YouTube, 15th, November, 2023. https://youtu.be/4fuEszQK57o?si=oR56TDQgpB37MnYN

Judkis, M. (2023, September 15). Chinese-Icelandic jazz singer Laufey wants Gen Z to fall in love. Washington Post. https://www.washingtonpost.com/style/2023/09/14/laufey-iceland-love-bewitched/

Laufey. “Day In My Life - Laufey (unreleased music, meetings and toast)”. 1st, March, 2022. https://youtu.be/MNM-uk3Nvao?si=4m60qS57NSRCyElL

Laufey. “From The Start”. Bewitched. September 8th, 2023.

Laufey. @laufey. Instagram. https://www.instagram.com/laufey/

Laufey Style. @laufeystyle, Instagram. https://www.instagram.com/laufeystyle/

Laufey. “Letter to My 13-Year-Old Self”. Bewitched. September 8th, 2023.

Laufey. TikTok. https://www.tiktok.com/@laufey?lang=en

NardwuarServiette. “Nardwuar vs. Laufey”. YouTube, 23rd, October, 2023. https://youtu.be/lxXhV5aB1g8?si=Oi_PTXyHVa35EAiY

The Laufey Book Club. @thelaufeybookclub. Instagram. https://www.instagram.com/laufeybookclub/