Chinese-Icelandic singer-songwriter Laufey (notably pronounced Lay-vay) has been making waves in the music industry with her unique and mesmerizing style of music. Her music combines pop with traditional jazz, bringing back the beloved genre in a new and refreshing way. 

Ever since her debut album, Everything I Know About Love, Laufey’s popularity has skyrocketed. People everywhere fell in love with her for her charming aura, dreamy vocals, and signature style of jazz-pop. 

However, Laufey’s style of music has sparked a riveting question in casual listeners and critics alike: Is Laufey’s music real jazz?

In a literal sense, yes. Laufey’s music uses many of the same instruments, like piano and guitar,  seen in traditional jazz music, and it conveys similar messages to the classics of the 1920s and 30s, namely some of her inspirations: Billie Holiday and Chet Baker.

In her song “Just Like Chet” (Everything I Know About Love), Laufey incorporates a jazz-influenced melody with a tragically relatable story of falling in love too easily. With the title and lyrics of the song, Laufey makes a clever callback to the beloved jazz song “I Fall In Love Too Easily” by Frank Sinatra, specifically Chet Baker’s cover.

A common argument against Laufey’s music and the validity of its jazz origins is her frequent use of pop elements in her songs. 

While this argument is valid, Laufey’s music does have the repeating choruses and catchy lyrics of pop music seen today; it does not undermine her use of jazz elements such as swing in her music.

 In fact, this combination of the jazz music of the past and modern pop has allowed Laufey to bring her love of jazz to younger audiences in a way that is both exciting and new. All while remaining true to her background in the genre. 

Laufey’s spin on traditional jazz is truly captivating and has brought the love of the genre back to the limelight. Her music has bewitched audiences everywhere with her clever blend of old and new music genres, curating beautifully revolutionary pieces.