Laufey Lín Jónsdóttir, best known as Laufey, is a 24-year-old Icelandic-Chinese singer-songwriter. Laufey’s discography is a mixture of jazz and vintage pop. Her distinctive voice helped her rise to stardom with her hit song “From the Start” which has gained popularity on TikTok over the past couple of months since its release on May 11, 2023. “From the Start”, being her biggest hit, was the first teaser she released for her second album “Bewitched” which was released September 8, 2023.
Laufey’s first album “Everything I Know About Love”, released on August 26th, 2022, explores Laufey’s personal experiences with love, growing up, and finding herself. Her second album, “Bewitched”, is a love album focusing on Laufey’s past relationships and experiences with love. “Bewitched” (streaming on all music platforms) consists of 14 songs, having a total length of about 48 minutes, and consists of songs such as “From The Start”, “Promise”, “California and Me”, and ”Bewitched”. The album topped the jazz charts in multiple countries and broke the all-time record for the biggest release for a jazz album on Spotify with 5.7 million streams. Enough about the statistics though, let’s get into my favorite songs on the album!
Laufey starts the album off with an enchanting song titled “Dreamer.” The first 30 seconds can be described only as heavenly as it starts off with an enchanting acapella. Laufey, sings “No boy’s gonna be so smart as to try and pierce my porcelain heart.” Throughout the song, Laufey mentions her dreams and how she won’t let anyone (especially a boy) kill the dreamer within her. I personally find this song to be a perfect intro as it sets a tone for the album where Laufey is growing as an independent woman.
“Haunted”, Laufey’s third track on “Bewitched”, creates an angelic tone with the use of violin and guitar in the background. This track seems to connect with the last track “Second Best” as it describes Laufey’s trouble with a one-sided relationship where Laufey states, “I know he don’t love me quite like I love him.” This song might very well be my favorite on the album (yes, better than “From the Start”) due to the incredible use of the violin and the catchy chorus.
The 9th track on the album “Promise“ is incredible but quite depressing. Laufey is coming out of a breakup and is finding it difficult to move on. The song slowly builds up until the apex which creates goosebumps that’ll spread across your entire body. Most of the song is slow and primarily contains piano and tranquil lyrics. On the other hand, the apex kicks in with the use of violin and drums, creating an exciting atmosphere. This explosion of new instruments and a faster-paced verse exceeded my initial expectations on my first listen. Just that part of the song makes it my second favorite track on the album.
Laufey’s final song of the album, “Bewitched”, is a perfect conclusion to this rollercoaster of a piece of art. The accompaniment of an orchestra creates an atmosphere that evokes emotion and helps you feel the music. This song concludes the love story within the album with Laufey finally finding the perfect partner that she can truly love.
Overall, Laufey’s second studio album “Bewitched” is an album that evokes emotion and creates a sulky atmosphere best paired on a rainy afternoon. The album explores the difficulties of love and the aftermath of leaving the person who should’ve been “the one”. The album follows a story and keeps you hooked until the last song. The use of expressive lyricism, perfectly accommodating instrumentals, and unquestionably incredible vocals is what makes this album a 9/10. I would highly recommend this album to jazz listeners who appreciate incredible instrumentals and impressive vocals that accommodate each other to create an enticing story-like album.
