Laufey’s latest single “Goddess,” includes lyrics confessing, “I’m a goddess on stage, human when we’re alone.” Just as her song pleads for an older lover to acknowledge her daily vulnerability rather than her brilliant glitz on grandeur stages, Laufey seems to believe that others ( and even herself) perceive her as a character on stage. She continues to sing, “Were you surprised by me / When you took me home? / When the glamor wore off / Reduced to skin and bone.”
Nonetheless, her listeners worship and relate to her melodies and lyrics that already exhibit skin and bones. Her songs profoundly impact her listeners with lyrics in confessional songs like “Letter To My 13 Year Old Self,” “Promise” and “Let You Break My Heart Again.” Her songwriting contains transparent and intimate topics like insecurity, unrequited love, growing pains and tender friendships (especially with her well-known twin sister, Junia).
Besides being a songwriter, Laufey connects to her audience with her unique low-register and deep voice. Even her performances portray the grandiosity of her written feelings as many describe her presence as ethereal and mystical, “something you would hear in a Studio Ghibli film.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kLxIyVfVAt8
Her authenticity is ever-present in her dynamic writing and production sessions, performances and social media. The acclaimed “TikTok sensation” has shown specific gratitude towards her TikTok audiences.
She posts memes with her songs, likes and responds to comments about her heartbreak. She often makes fun of herself and acknowledges the teary effect her songs evoke. The artist posted a teaser video for the song “Goddess” and explained, “I never told him how he made me feel, so here it is.” A TikTok user commented on the post, saying, “Gosh Laufey, what did he put you through.” The Gen Z artist responded, “A lot.” Another mentioned, “Just know I’m going to be sobbing,” and she agreed, saying, “Me too.”
Her connection with her social media audience is perceptible through her daily posts, where she uses filters like “What Laufey Song Are You?” She also shares her tour breakfast meals, responds to edits with her songs, and even shows a picture of herself crying while scrolling through individuals using her song “Letter To My 13 Year Old Self” for a TikTok trend. The trend consists of people sharing infant pictures of themselves with the forlorn lyrics, “I’m so sorry that they pick you last.”
She endearingly calls her fans “Lauvers” and shares pictures of her homeland, Iceland. These interactions have fostered a mutual fondness between her and her fans.
The 24-year-old Icelandic-Chinese woman’s magical connection to music traces back throughto her family: Her mother is a classical violinist, and her grandfather was a violin educator in China. Her cultural background has led to her creative growth, and she explains that she’s excited to grow a community where her Asian fans can come together.
In an interview for “Today,” she describes, “I was raised in a classical music family, raised listening to jazz, and I want these art forms to survive, but I also recognize that for them to survive, it needs new blood, new life. What Gen Z needs is a hair of relatability. I want to show everyone that I’m just another one of them.”
Her purpose has flourished since 2020 when her first single, “Street by Street,” went viral on TikTok. Classical instruments like violin and piano are heard in the background, indicating her first steps into revealing a world of ballads.
Laufey is continuously categorized as a jazz artist on platforms like Spotify and even by TikTok users, however, her album “Bewitched” won the artist her first Grammy for Best Traditional Pop Album. Rather than being perceived as a classical jazz artist, Laufey entangles jazz with modern pop sounds and lyrics to reach a more prominent audience. This approach has paid off with her 4.3 million TikTok followers and more than ten million monthly listeners on Spotify.
Many fans claim that jazz is revitalizing because of the young artist, but jazz and classical music have been humming in the background of Top 40 charts, especially among Black artists like Nubya Garcia and Grammy-award winners Samara Joy and Esperanza Spalding. Even if these artists are not as widely recognized on social media or broadcasted in the mainstream, they have won jazz awards and similarly modernized jazz.
Laufey’s biracial background has also connected with her fans, who became enamored with her collaboration with Filipino artist Beabadoobee in “A Night to Remember.” They both resonate with their fans because of their harmonious and soothing vocals and instrumentals. Through this collaboration and Laufey’s discography, the jazz and classical genres trim down to the core of transcendent music—traditional instrumental sounds and emotional lyrics.
Although jazz can be perceived as an elusive and older genre, Laufey’s relatable lyrics open a door for those who want to explore different genres. Teenagers and younger audiences need undefined genres to explore ballads with which they can cry and swoon to.
Her lyricism and relatability as she shares her stories and background have led to commercial success. Laufey may not be a Goddess, but Lauvers’ devotion to her art depicts her as a divine creator to look out for.
