In 2024, when Laufey won the Grammy for Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album for “Bewitched,” she became, at 24, the youngest artist to earn this honor. Since then, she has continued to inspire — from starting her own foundation to support young musicians to releasing her next Grammy-winning album “A Matter of Time.” She has been honored with an Icelandic knighthood and has shared her children’s book, “Mei Mei The Bunny,” with the world. Laufey’s journey over the past few years has been filled with milestones as she brings her classical and jazz influences to a new audience and generation.
The Icelandic-Chinese artist, composer, producer, and multi-instrumentalist recently established The Laufey Foundation, dedicated to helping young musicians thrive. Its main goal is to provide resources, especially through youth orchestras, so that these talented individuals can achieve their full potential.
“The support and scholarships I received as a child have directly led to the career I have now. It’s been a lifelong dream of mine to provide the next generation with the same support and opportunities. I can’t wait to connect with the young musician community!” said Laufey.
The Laufey Foundation ensures that young musicians from all backgrounds have the opportunity to attend youth orchestra programs. The foundation awards grants to the Boston Youth Symphony Orchestra, LA Phil’s YOLA program, The Cleveland Orchestra Youth Orchestra, and two of Carnegie Hall’s national youth ensembles, with a goal of expanding the number and locations of orchestras globally in the months and years to come.
Laufey’s international success, she says, stems from her participation in prestigious youth orchestra programs and earning a Presidential Scholarship to Berklee College of Music. The Laufey Foundation reflects the transformative support she received as a young musician, which sparked her passion for classical and jazz music.
Laufey also serves as the honorary chair for Library Card Sign-up Month. This September, Laufey will join the American Library Association and libraries across the country to showcase the joy of getting a library card.
“Growing up caught between different cultures and moving around a lot, libraries always served as a safe haven for me,” said Laufey. “I loved reading, and the idea that I could find something that connected to every part of me felt magical. Whether it was a book about Iceland, a volume on classical music, or a fantasy novel, my endless wanderlust was well satiated. I’ve carried these spaces with me into adulthood, and the stories from within have directly impacted my songwriting.”
Many on the East End had a chance to see Laufey live in 2024, when she performed a benefit concert at the historic Montauk Point Lighthouse to support the Montauk Historical Society.
A Matter Of Time
Following her recent Grammy win for Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album for the album “A Matter of Time,” a new deluxe version, “A Matter of Time: The Final Hour,” has been released. Featuring four new tracks, including “Madwoman,” “How I Get,” “I Wait, I Wait, I Wait,” and “I’ll Forget About You (In Time),” the deluxe album continues Laufey’s landmark year as she is currently on tour throughout Asia, following sold-out dates in the U.K. and Europe.
“A Matter of Time,” co-produced by Spencer Stewart and Aaron Dessner, was released to widespread critical acclaim in August, debuting at #4 on the Billboard 200 chart and #1 on the Jazz Albums chart.
Feeling sonically unrestrained while recording the album gave Laufey the space to share new sides of herself while exploring some heavier themes. “People expect a pretty façade of girly clothes, fantastical stories, and romantic music,” she said. “This time, I was interested in seeing how I could draw out the most flawed parts of myself and look at them directly in the mirror.”
Tracks on the original album include “Tough Luck.” Of the song, Laufey explained, “‘Tough Luck’ is a fiery song about love gone wrong. I wanted to reveal an angrier side of myself — a side that this unfortunate relationship brought out in me.”
As Laufey began to craft “A Matter of Time,” she felt freer than ever. “Every new album for me is a blank book of stories to write,” she said. As an artist, she pours her life experiences into her work. She infused 2022’s “Everything I Know About Love” with coming-of-age tales about leaving home, and for 2023’s “Bewitched,” she dove into young love. With sweeping orchestral arrangements, blending strains of bossa nova and jazz, and Laufey’s honeyed alto, these albums establish her as a star who makes sounds from bygone eras feel eternally timeless.
“I’m constantly thinking about classical and jazz, how to properly preserve them and pay homage. For this album,” said Laufey, “I just wanted to let my heart wander.”
“A Matter of Time: The Final Hour” highlights Laufey’s emotional renaissance as she explores the anxieties and vulnerability that come with experiencing “real love.” The deluxe edition, released in April, features the original 15 tracks plus four unreleased songs.
“‘How I Get’ is about the contrast between being disciplined, grounded, and in control in every area of my life, except when it comes to one person,” said Laufey. “It explores that unsettling shift where I suddenly find myself chasing the rush and justifying behavior I swore I’d never fall into, because with them, that’s just how I get.”
The recently released video for “Madwoman” stars “Heated Rivalry” breakout Hudson Williams, Olympic champion Alysa Liu, Lola Tung of “The Summer I Turned Pretty” and “Forbidden Fruits,” and Megan Skiendiel of Katseye, and was directed by Warren Fu.
Shot in Los Angeles just prior to Laufey’s Coachella debut, the video features the all-star cast in a Slim Aarons-inspired world where the picture-perfect veneer is not quite as it seems.
“Growing up, I felt a general lack of representation for people who looked like me in music and media. With the ‘Madwoman’ video, I wanted to be that representation,” said Laufey. “The result is what honestly feels like my absolute dream video and exactly what younger Laufey would have loved to see.”
And on the topic of younger Laufey, she was raised between Reykjavik and Washington, D.C., and learned piano and cello as a child. Hop to today: she shares childhood joy with her first children’s book, “Mei Mei The Bunny,” released on April 21. The book debuted on The New York Times’ Best Sellers list at #2 on the Children’s Picture Book chart. Illustrated by Lauren O’Hara, the book tells the story of violinist Mei Mei as she overcomes challenges and learns to believe.
