Ella Fitzgerald, Chet Baker, even Amy Winehouse, these are some of the few jazz singers who are household names—and none of them debuted this decade. With the dominance of pop, house and hip hop, it looked like the genre of jazz was going to be relegated to yesteryear, reserved only for elevators or Italian restaurants. Until Laufey.

In addition to being one of the most exciting jazz songstresses of her generation, Laufey is a generational dream girl. Between her velvety vocals and nostalgically whimsical aesthetic, Laufey has become a fixture in the modern landscape—even if some fans  continue to mispronounce her name( lāy-vāy, by the way). 

But Laufey's recent success is maybe the least interesting thing about her. Born and raised in Reykjavik, singer was trained classically before attending Berklee College of Music, where she studied jazz and songwriting. When she started releasing music during the pandemic, her at-home “date night with jazz” livestreams quickly went viral, and that's just the beginning. 

Gear up for the release of her new project, A Matter Of Time, with a new Wildflower case inspired by the album, and impress your friends with everything you know about their new favorite artist. 

She's a twin

Laufey has a twin sister Junia, who often appears in her online content. Their full names are Laufey Lín Bīng Jónsdóttir and Júnía Lín Jónsdóttir and they share an Icelandic father and Chinese mother. Junia is a violinist and works as Laufey's creative director. 

She was accepted into St. Andrews

Before she chose to attend Berklee, Laufey was considering a very famous college—with a royal history. She and Julia were accepted into St. Andrews in Edinburgh, Scotland, the university that introduced Prince William and Kate Middleton. 

She has a unique musical background

Like Junia, Laufey mother's is a classical violinist, while their maternal grandfather, Lin Yaoji, was a as a violin tutor at the Central Conservatory of Music in China, all of which contributed to her love of music. 

Her fans are called 'Laufeyettes'

Like Junia, Laufey mother's is a classical violinist, while their maternal grandfather, Lin Yaoji, was a as a violin tutor at the Central Conservatory of Music in China, all of which contributed to her love of music. 

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She's won a Grammy

Despite her jazz roots, Laufey's sophomore album Bewitched won Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album at the 2024 Grammys. Her new album is her third offering, and promises to be just as much of a critical smash. 

She was a teen television star 

She hopes to become the Taylor Swift of jazz

Laufey is heavily inspired by Taylor Swift–specifically her ability to fuse country and pop music. She hopes to bring the same mainstream appeal to classical jazz–introducing the genre to new audiences. Critics have even called her the "jazz ambassador"

Her music is meant to be an escape