Chances are that if you listen to jazz, you’ve probably heard of an artist by the name of Laufey: An artist who seemingly overnight gained immense popularity and even won herself a Grammy Award. But where did she come from and why did she get so popular?

Laufey (pronounced “lay-vay”) was born on April 23rd, 1999 in Reykjavík, Iceland. She had an early passion for music, starting the violin at 2, the piano at the age of 4, and the cello at the age of 8. 

She continued her passion for music and on April 6th of 2020 when she released her first song called “Street by Street”. From there Laufey released a second song titled “Someone New” before releasing her first EP called “Typical of Me”. 

Her songs became popular among the jazz and Bossa Nova community. However, most of Laufey’s notoriety came in late 2023 after the release of her album, “Bewitched”. Many listeners related to her lyrics about love and loneliness and found comfort in her community.

Laufey’s popularity didn’t end there as she was nominated (and won) a Grammy in the “Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album” category. This was for her most popular song “From the Start.”

Since then, her music has gained immense popularity and has gone on to perform on many different stages such as the Hollywood Bowl and The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, as well as playing with the Iceland Symphony Orchestra. Laufey’s songs and lyrics have inspired and comforted many and I highly recommend listening to her music if you ever need some nice calm music to listen to.