When you think of jazz music, most people recall the Roaring Twenties, a time of prosperity and dissipation with flapper girls and speakeasies. Jazz bands performing classic hits of the decade filled these spaces, gracing everyone with the music of the time. But, as time went on, music developed into different genres and styles, and jazz moved further and further away from the forefront of the music industry.
However, to everyone’s surprise, one artist might be bringing this genre of music back, and her audience demographic might not be what you would think. Icelandic singer-songwriter Laufey might have just the thing inside her modern-jazz style of music to bring the genre back into mainstream listening.
Background
Laufey is a twenty-four-year-old singer-songwriter who grew up in Reykjavík, Iceland, while also moving back and forth between Washington, D.C. She learned how to play the piano at four and the cello at eight. With this influence of music at such a young age, at only fifteen years old, Laufey played the cello in the Iceland Symphony Orchestra, was a finalist on Iceland’s Got Talent, and was a semi-finalist on The Voice Iceland. At the time these seasons were aired, Laufey was the youngest competitor in the history of the shows! Eventually, as Laufey got older, she attended Berklee College of Music and graduated with a presidential scholarship!
Early Musical Career
Looking at Laufey’s recent music career, she truly blew up out of nowhere. Her first single, “Street by Street,” was released in 2020 amid the COVID-19 pandemic. She soon after released her first EP, Typical of Me, in 2021, with seven total songs that got great praise. It even got recognized by musicians such as Willow Smith and Billie Eilish! Laufey was even able to score an appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live! and play her song “Like the Movies” from her newly released EP. With this sudden growth, Laufey, however, did not forget about her fans and kept pretty consistent when it came to interacting with them on social media sites like TikTok and Instagram, as well as participating in live streams on both platforms. Laufey likes to emphasize her love for her fans and is even known for stepping outside before her concerts and saying a quick hello to as many people as possible to show her appreciation!
Jimmy Kimmel Live!
Discography
Continuing with Laufey’s discography, she currently has two albums. Her debut album, Everything I Know About Love, was released on August 26, 2022. This album debuted at number one on the Billboard Alternative New Artist Album Chart! One of her newest releases was this past September 8, 2023, with her second album drop titled Bewitched. Laufey also has a live album recorded with the Iceland Symphony Orchestra called A Night at the Symphony. On top of all of these releases, she has several other songs with features from other artists! Her newest release was a song by both Laufey and Beabadoobee. The song is titled “A Night to Remember” and has been doing pretty well since its release on October 20, 2023. Laufey has said that a lot of the music that she writes is inspired by some of her favorite artists of all time, including Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday, Chet Baker, and Taylor Swift.
Why laufey?
A very important aspect of Laufey is not just how incredible her musicality is but also her personality and her connection with her fans. She likes to let her fans know that she is there for them and is creating the music she is to help her fans hear her story and bond with her. This classic jazz style is intriguing to a younger demographic because of the bond she wants to make with her fans. Her age demographic is around eighteen to thirty-four years old. So definitely some mix, but it’s still a bit surprising that her audience is a lot younger! The truth is, fans want to be heard. They want to feel appreciated. They want to feel connected with the person they love so much and want to support. Laufey has beautiful and elegant music that is such an experience to listen to, but she also has this unforgettable, charismatic, loving side to her that doesn’t go unnoticed by fans or other musical artists. So when you are thinking about what kind of music you want to put on for fun the next time you are tired of your same old playlist, put on some beautiful jazz tunes by the one and only Laufey and have “A Very Laufey Day!”