Laufey

Laufey Lín Bing Jónsdóttir is an Icelandic singer-songwriter from Reykjavík, Iceland. Her music combines bossa nova, jazz, jazz pop, vocal jazz and singer-songwriter elements, with classical influences also present in her work.

Early life and training

Born in 1999, Laufey grows up between Reykjavík, Washington, D.C. and visits to Beijing. She begins piano at the age of four and cello at eight, and also studies ballet and figure skating as a child. Her mother is a classical violinist from Guangzhou, China, and her father is an Icelandic finance executive. Laufey speaks Icelandic, English and Mandarin Chinese, which she learns first, and later learns to read Danish after seven years of study.

She attends Háteigsskóli after her family returns to Reykjavík in 2008. She graduates from the Reykjavík College of Music in 2018, where she also studies singing. After high school, she is accepted to the University of St Andrews in Scotland, where she initially plans to study economics, but instead takes a presidential scholarship to Berklee College of Music in Boston, studying cello with Mike Block and graduating in 2021.

Career beginnings

As a teenager, Laufey performs as a cello soloist with the Iceland Symphony Orchestra at the age of 15. She is a finalist in Ísland Got Talent in 2014 and a semifinalist on The Voice Iceland in 2015, where she is the youngest contestant in the programme’s history.

Her debut single, “Street by Street”, is released in 2020 and reaches number one on Icelandic radio charts. She also shares jazz standard covers on TikTok, and her performances there are described by The New York Times as casually elegant. In 2021 she hosts the BBC Radio 3 programme Happy Harmonies, which features music from different genres, and performs at the London Jazz Festival.

Recordings and releases

Laufey signs with AWAL, a label that gives artists greater control over their recordings. Her debut EP, Typical of Me, appears in 2021 and includes “Street by Street” plus six other songs, several of which are written in her college dormitory. The EP gains critical attention, including praise for her version of “I Wish You Love”, and is included in notable-release lists for 2021. It also draws attention from artists including Billie Eilish.

She collaborates with the Philharmonia Orchestra on “Let You Break My Heart Again” and releases “Love To Keep Me Warm” with Dodie in December 2021. Her debut album, Everything I Know About Love, is released in 2022 via AWAL and reaches number one on Billboard’s Alternative New Artist Album chart. Her second album, Bewitched, follows in 2023 and includes the single “From the Start”. The album wins Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album at the 66th Annual Grammy Awards, and she performs there alongside Billy Joel.

In March 2024 she issues Bewitched: The Goddess Edition, preceded by the single “Goddess”. In 2025 she begins releasing music from her third album, A Matter of Time, with the singles “Silver Lining”, “Tough Luck”, “Lover Girl” and “Snow White”. The album is released in August 2025. She later releases “How I Get” and an expanded edition, A Matter of Time: The Final Hour, in 2026.

Later activity and recognition

Laufey signs a global publishing agreement with Warner Chappell Music in 2023. She supports Bewitched with a year-long world tour, and after A Matter of Time she begins the A Matter Of Time Tour, with dates in Europe included. She is also announced as a performer at Coachella 2026 and as the headliner for Season 14 of Fortnite Festival, with related in-game content and a concert experience titled Laufey: The Final Hour.

Her second and third albums each win Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album at the Grammy Awards, making her a two-time winner in that category.