The first time Laufey touched base with Vogue, she was a fresh-faced 24-year-old, still new on the scene. Now as she stops by The Run-Through, she’s a household name—and a Grammy winner.
Of course, it was only a matter of time before the Icelandic prodigy became one of Gen Z’s favorite pop girls; her genre-defying sound breaks down the barriers between jazz, pop, and classical music. But Laufey is out to prove herself all over again with her vulnerable new album, titled A Matter of Time.
For those unfamiliar with her backstory, Laufey got her start organically, when she was trapped inside during the pandemic with nothing to do. She was scrolling TikTok like any other Gen Z’er when she decided to post a video of herself singing a song she’d written called “Like the Movies.”
“It was a jazz-standard song,” Laufey explains. “I put a video of that online, and people were responding to it. It was weird because it was all young people and the music didn’t seem—I mean, I was hoping, obviously, that there would be a young audience for it, but I had never had an example of it.”
Overnight she became a hit, which eventually led to her signing with a label. This order of things worked to her advantage: “I didn’t go to the industry and ask, ‘Can you invest in me?’” she says now. “I did the opposite and grew an audience first. I had quite a large audience before I signed any album deal, and it gave me complete creative control. No one’s ever told me what kind of song I should put out because they know that I know my audience and they trust me.”
Her latest album sees Laufey partnering with producers Spencer Stewart and Aaron Dessner and going deeper than she ever has before, whether she’s addressing the joys and tribulations of love and friendship or reflecting on race, as in the song “Snow White.”
But the singer isn’t only making exciting moves in music: She’s also been dipping her toe into the world of fashion. Her love for clothes and fashion history runs deep, extending also to Laufey’s twin sister, Junia. These days you can often spot Laufey in the front row at Lanvin, Chloé, and Chanel, though she’s also been keeping up with fashion’s big game of musical chairs.
Listen to The Run-Through’s full conversation with Laufey up above—plus, hear hosts Chloe Malle and Chioma Nnadi talk about British Vogue’s September cover star and why everyone loves Copenhagen street style.
