Laufey, of the birth name, Laufey Lín Bing Jónsdóttir, is a modern artist of Chinese and Icelandic descent. Swirling together jazz and classical sounds, Laufey or pronounced “lāy-vāy” is popular with more than 13 million monthly followers on Spotify.
Laufey released her “Bewitched” album on Sep. 8, 2023 and the new “Bewitched: The Goddess Edition” album on April 26, 2024, which she and Spencer Stewart co-produced. Similar to her previous album with 14 songs, “Bewitched: The Goddess Edition” includes an upgraded version of the previous album with four additional songs of superficiality, adoration, signs of luck and internal beauty.
In the song “Dreamer,” Laufey reflects on the negatives of spending too much time worrying about others’ opinions. She boasts her strong heart and confidence in her own opinions. With a trill of beautiful lyrics accompanied by instrumentals, Laufey inserts a juxtaposition of her unbreakable heart along with her compelling love causing her to fall.
“I’m moving up into a cloud, into my fantasy / And no boy’s gonna be so smart as to / Try and pierce my porcelain heart (Porcelain heart) / No boy’s going to kill the dreamer in me,” Laufey sings.
Laufey’s most listened to song, “From the Start,” outlines her falling for someone and asking if they share the same adoration. In verse three, she contradicts that first charismatic tone with a conflicting subconscious, wondering if she should tell her lover how she feels.
“That when I talk to you / Oh, Cupid walks right through / And shoots an arrow through my heart / And I sound like a loon / But don’t you feel it, too? / Confess I loved you from the start,” Laufey sings.
In her song from the previous album, “Letter To My Thirteen Year Old Self,” Laufey characterizes herself struggling with differences between others and finding individualism as a teenager. Many listeners can relate to the harmonious sounds and her calming voice as she reassures them of self love through childhood and present times.
“You’ll grow up / And grow so tough and charm them / Write your story, fall in love a little too / The things you thought you’d never do / I wish I could go back and give her a squeeze / Myself at thirteen / And just let her know, know that she’s beautiful,” Laufey sings.
The 15th track, the new song “Bored,” Laufey sings about someone who was supposed to be everything for her but was vain and did not meet her standards. She points out the necessity of being in a relationship with someone selfless and caring toward others. She brings up the idea of leaving her past lover for someone more positive.
“Did you know (Did you know) / I wept in my room last night? / Bet you didn’t know you make me cry / ‘Cause you’re so self-possessed / Charming at first, but you’ve made me depressed / So I’m leaving in the morning,” Laufey sings.
Laufey explained the meaning behind the track “Promise” in an interview. Despite the negative relationship, she struggled with healing and eventually went back to her ex. She mentions repetitive analogies and imagery, such as the color pink, names and places. Enhancing the piece by relating to detailed memories of NYC and LA, Laufey can relate to varying audiences.
“I’ve done the math / There’s no solution / We’ll never last / Why can’t I let go of this? / (…) / So I broke my promise / I called you last night / I shouldn’t have, I wouldn’t have / If it weren’t for the sight of a boy / Who lookеd just like you / Standing out on Melrose Avеnue,” Laufey sings.
In her much-anticipated new track, “Goddess,” Laufey touches on being human versus others seeing her as Aphrodite or a cherished Goddess. Some infer that she is revealing the toxicity in expecting someone to be perfect in real life.
“Were you surprised by me / When you took me home? / When the glamour wore off / Reduced to skin and bone / I can’t even tell who you want to know / I’m a goddess on stage / Human when we’re alone,” Laufey sings.
Laufey vocalizes falling in love in the 13th track, “Bewitched,” which is named after the album. She refers to red flags and issues from relationships, and how they seem invisible once she falls in a spiral of love. She accompanies the saddening lyrics in the foreground with an upbeat instrumental background.
“You bewitch me / Every (expletive) second you’re with me / I try to think straight but I’m falling so badly / I’m coming apart / You wrote me a note, cast a spell on my heart / And bewitched me,” Laufey sings.
Laufey concludes her upgraded tracks on “Bewitched: The Goddess Edition” with harmonious jazz music and her deep, comforting voice. Her songs are a mixture of falling in love, superstition, gratitude, breakups and true friendships. Audiences will find an understandable and reassuring tone when enjoying the new tracks.