After winning over countless listeners with her first two albums, Laufey is opening up new emotions on her latest record, ‘A Matter of Time.’ She is coming to terms with the aspects of life she cannot alter and gently asking those who have made assumptions about her to reconsider their views.
“The sheer number of people who listen to my music is always surprising,” Laufey confesses. “I grew up in a country of about 300,000 people - that’s how many tickets I’m selling for this upcoming tour.” The Icelandic-Chinese singer-songwriter has undeniably garnered significant attention. Known for her enchanting lullabies that blend mid-century jazz with contemporary sounds, she gained recognition after receiving a Presidential Scholarship to attend Berklee College of Music. Since then, she has released two albums (2022’s ‘Everything I Know About Love’ and 2023’s ‘Bewitched’), becoming the youngest recipient of the Grammy for Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album for the latter, all while amassing an 8.7 million-following on TikTok. Additionally, she founded The Laufey Foundation to support youth orchestra programs in an effort to "make the world a happier place," collaborated with artists such as Norah Jones, Barbra Streisand, and beabadoobee, and sold out Madison Square Garden twice prior to her third record release.
“I definitely crash after all of this,” she reflects, situated in the corner of a top-floor restaurant in a stylish West London hotel. She shares that finding time to be alone, whether with a book or a coffee, and returning to Iceland when possible helps her stay grounded. “Those moments really remind me of who I am,” she states. “It’s crucial for me mentally to hold onto that.” The 26-year-old, absent of the pretentiousness often associated with rising stars, fiddles with her sequined scarf as she speaks. Our conversation takes place shortly after the global release of her latest single, ‘Lover Girl’ (“speaking of crashing out!”), an airy bossa nova song about falling in love from her new album, ‘A Matter Of Time’. “This is definitely the most anticipation I’ve seen for a song before its release,” she smiles. “People are already creating a ton of TikToks with it, which is wild.” A week later, she begins a series of intimate church shows in the UK, starting at London’s Union Chapel. The crowd fills the pews, wearing bows in their hair and fanning themselves (Laufey's visit coincides with an extreme London heatwave). Her humility from the restaurant carries onto the stage: when the emotionally stirring ‘Goddess’ prompts half the crowd to stand (the other half likely too wary of fainting in the heat), she responds with a shy giggle, forming a heart shape with her hands.
“I find that putting tickets on sale is way more nerve-wracking [than releasing singles], because you’re asking so much from people,” she explains. “You’re asking for their money, their time and attention, their care. Their willingness to pull out their computer and ask their parents or friends if they want to accompany them—it’s a whole ordeal. It’s so much more than just clicking on a song that, if you don’t enjoy, you can ignore, you know?” The audience at Union Chapel is certainly attentive. They join in at times—especially for her upbeat 2023 single ‘From The Start’—but for the most part, they listen in rapt silence.
“I think the artist within me always wants to push against people’s expectations a little bit.”
Releasing new music became considerably less intimidating once Laufey accepted that she cannot control public opinion. “If I release something I adore, and the public doesn’t like it, at least I love it,” she shrugs. “My control lies in how much I appreciate it.” Fortunately, her unique blend of jazz and classical elements mixed with lyrics that reflect “the most brain-rotted teenager ever” has resonated well. Her low, crooning vocals, reminiscent of Ella Fitzgerald, combined with lush string arrangements may seem an unlikely match for distinctly Gen Z themes about deleted Instagram posts and yelling at the television, but this niche has set Laufey apart.
However, having a niche can often lead to audiences trying to categorize you. For many, Laufey is simply a soft girl creating only gentle songs; for others, she is strictly a jazz artist, while some debate whether she can even be considered a ‘real’ jazz musician with her pop influences. In truth, she remains unfazed by other people's opinions. “Everyone in the world gets perceived and pigeonholed; it’s how humans keep track of things,” she muses. “There is so much within my discography that you can interpret me however you prefer.” At the same time, there’s a distinct effort to challenge those perceptions on ‘A Matter of
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After captivating countless fans with her initial two albums, Laufey's latest record, ‘A Matter of Time,’ explores new emotions, embraces the aspects she cannot alter, and gently encourages those who have formed opinions about her to reconsider.