Laufey (singer) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Laufey OTF
Laufey at The Queen Elizabeth Theatre in 2024
Background information
Birth name	Laufey Lín Bing Jónsdóttir
Born	(1999-04-23) 23 April 1999 (age 26) Reykjavík, Iceland
Genres	Jazz pop traditional pop classical bossa nova
Occupation(s)	Singer-songwriter record producer
Instruments	Vocals piano guitar cello
Years active	2014–present
Labels	AWAL
Chinese name
Chinese	林冰
Transcriptions Standard Mandarin Hanyu Pinyin Lín Bīng Bopomofo ㄌㄧㄣˊㄅㄧㄥ Yue: Cantonese Yale Romanization Làhm Bīng Jyutping Lam4 Bing1
Signature

Laufey Lín Bing Jónsdóttir (born April 23, 1999), known simply as Laufey (pronounced LAY-vay), is a talented singer and songwriter from Iceland. Her music is a cool mix of different styles. She blends jazz pop, classical music, and bossa nova to create her unique sound.

Laufey started playing the cello as a soloist with the Iceland Symphony Orchestra when she was just 15 years old. She also showed her skills on TV, becoming a finalist in Ísland Got Talent in 2014. The next year, she reached the semifinals on The Voice Iceland. In 2021, Laufey released her first collection of songs, an EP called Typical of Me. She also finished her studies at the Berklee College of Music that year.

Her first full album, Everything I Know About Love, came out in 2022. It became popular in both Iceland and the United States. Her second album, Bewitched, released in 2023, was a big success. It won a Grammy Award in 2024. This album also featured her popular song "From the Start". Laufey's third album, A Matter of Time, was released on August 22, 2025. It also won the Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album at the 68th Annual Grammy Awards in 2026.

Laufey's Early Life and Education

Laufey Lín Bing Jónsdóttir was born on April 23, 1999, in Reykjavík, Iceland. Her father is Icelandic, and her mother is from Guangzhou, China. Laufey's mother is a classical violinist. Her grandfather, Lin Yaoji, was a famous violin teacher in China. Laufey says her family's musical background inspired her love for music. Her father works in finance.

Laufey has an identical twin sister named Júnía Lín Hua Jónsdóttir. Júnía is also a violinist and helps Laufey with her creative projects. Laufey and her family lived in Washington, D.C. for two years. They moved back to Reykjavík in 2008, where she went to Háteigsskóli.

Laufey began playing the piano at age four and the cello at age eight. She also enjoyed ballet and figure skating when she was younger. Laufey speaks Icelandic, English, and Mandarin Chinese. Mandarin was actually the first language she learned! She also learned to read Danish after studying it for seven years. In 2018, she graduated from the Reykjavík College of Music, where she studied singing.

When she was 15, Laufey performed as a cello soloist with the Iceland Symphony Orchestra. She was a finalist in the 2014 Ísland Got Talent show. In 2015, she competed on The Voice Iceland and reached the semifinals. She was the youngest contestant in the show's history at that time.

After high school, Laufey received a special scholarship to attend Berklee College of Music. She studied cello there with Mike Block and graduated in 2021. As of October 2023, she lived in Los Angeles.

Laufey's Music Career Journey

Starting Out: 2020–2022

Laufey in 2021

Laufey released her first song, "Street by Street," on April 6, 2020. It quickly became the number one song on Icelandic Radio. Her first collection of songs, an EP called Typical of Me, came out on April 30, 2021. Laufey wrote many of these songs in her college dorm room. Music magazines like Rolling Stone and American Songwriter praised the EP. Even famous musicians like Billie Eilish noticed her work.

Laufey also became popular on TikTok by posting covers of classic jazz standards. The New York Times described these videos as "casually elegant." She signed a record deal with AWAL. This label is known for letting artists have more control over their music.

In 2021, Laufey hosted a weekly music show on BBC Radio 3 called Happy Harmonies. On the show, she shared uplifting music from many different genres. She also performed at the London Jazz Festival that November. Around the same time, she worked with the Philharmonia Orchestra on her song "Let You Break My Heart Again." In December, she teamed up with singer Dodie to release "Love To Keep Me Warm." This song was their cover of "Winter Weather" by Ted Shapiro, with new parts written by Laufey and Dodie.

Laufey made her first appearance on US television in 2022. She was the musical guest on Jimmy Kimmel Live! on January 21, where she performed "Like the Movies." Her first full album, Everything I Know About Love, was released on August 26, 2022. Critics loved the album, and it reached number one on Billboard's Alternative New Artist Album chart.

Grammy Wins and New Albums: 2023–Present

Laufey performing at the Montreux Jazz Festival in July 2023

In August 2023, Laufey signed a global publishing deal with Warner Chappell Music. Her second album, Bewitched, was released on September 8, 2023. Before the album came out, she shared the sheet music for fans to enjoy. The album received great reviews and earned Laufey her first Grammy Award in 2024. She won for Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album. At the Grammy Awards, she even performed with the legendary Billy Joel.

Laufey then went on a year-long world tour, called the Bewitched Tour, to share her new music with fans. On March 6, 2024, she re-released the album as Bewitched: The Goddess Edition. This special edition included the new single "Goddess."

Laufey announced her third album in 2025. She released its first single, "Silver Lining," on April 3, 2025. Later, she shared the album's name, A Matter of Time. She then released the second single, "Tough Luck," on May 15, 2025. On June 25, 2025, she teased and released her third single from the album, "Lover Girl," along with a music video. The video for "Snow White" was released on August 7, 2025, as a fourth single leading up to the album's release.

The album A Matter of Time was released on August 22, 2025. After its release, Laufey began her A Matter Of Time Tour. Her first concert was at the Kia Center in Orlando, Florida, on September 15, 2025. The tour has continued with concerts across Europe. Laufey was also a performer at Coachella 2026.

In February 2026, she announced a new single, "How I Get," which was released on February 25. Laufey also announced an extended version of her latest album, titled A Matter of Time: The Final Hour. This extended album is set to be released on April 10, 2026.

Laufey's Music Albums

Studio Albums

• Everything I Know About Love (2022)
• Bewitched (2023)
• A Matter of Time (2025)

Awards and Recognitions

Laufey's Concert Tours

Headlining Tours

• Everything I Know About Love Tour (2022)
• Bewitched Tour (2023–2024)
• A Matter of Time Tour (2025–2026)