At 24-years-old, Chinese-Icelandic artist, Laufey, has hit the ground running in her music career. Her entire life, from her instrumental childhood to her first Grammy win, Laufey’s had a natural aptitude in all things musical. At only four years old, she studied piano alongside her twin sister, and just 11 years later, Laufey took the stage of Iceland Got Talent and played cello solos apace the Iceland Symphony Orchestra.
Now, her stage changes daily as she embarks on tour for her sophomore jazz-pop album, “Bewitched.” Her songs feature mixed tensions of her signature warm, soothing sound and lyrics that range from heart wrenching to heart melting. Many can agree that the singer’s clever composing brings a sense of serenity and relaxed ambiance, with her intertwining of traditional jazz, bossa nova, and old-time pop. However , loyal jazz fans are still reluctant to welcome the blossoming artist into their distinguished hall of fame. While Laufey claims to take after the greats, Ella Fitzgerald and Billie Holiday, critics suggest that she’s a far contrast from her inspirations. Gen-Z seems to disagree.
“She kind of took a contemporary twist on jazz and is reinventing it,” stated Tallwood student, Grace Cho. It’s true that Laufey doesn’t cater to conventional jazz, but I, as well as the rest of her young, post-millennial audience would argue that she’s instead refreshed the now cliched genre, attracting their generation to the almost retired world of jazz music, something we haven’t seen a musician so successfully do since, well, ever.
Regardless of her controversy, Laufey has taken the music industry by storm. Most listeners can’t recall her fame past early 2021, yet, despite her revilers, she’s now charting internationally, with her lead single and fan favorite, “From The Start,” being the most streamed jazz song in the world since October, 2023. There’s no denying that Laufey has sparked an unmatched flame in her genre, whatever that may be, and along the way inspired a generation of fans that will see to her success, no matter her disparagers.
