âThis has been my dream venue forever,â says Laufey to the adoring crowd at Londonâs Royal Albert Hall, the pure awe in her glimmering eyes lit up by a single spotlight. âI can die tomorrow [and] Iâd be really happy.â Performing at a venue as iconic as this one may be a bucket list moment for the Icelandic-Chinese musical maestro, but what everyone else here already knows is that this was simply an inevitability.
The multi-instrumentalist has spent the past four years introducing the world to her pioneering blend of jazz-pop that effortlessly spans generations. Itâs this âbeautiful middle groundâ, as she shared in her NME Cover interview last year, that has landed her centre stage at one of the capitalâs most prestigious venues so early on in her career. And itâs only the latest in a series of achievements that all point to Laufeyâs continued upward trajectory; her second album âBewitchedâ earned her a Grammy award back in February, while this monthâs Met Gala debut signalled the artist boldly taking her place in mainstream culture.
Tonightâs performance, though, is a celebration of the pure musical talent that got her here. The twinkling, woozy opening notes of âWhile You Were Sleepingâ lifts the entire room as Laufey flutters onto the stage draped in flowy white dress, practically on her tiptoes. Backed by an eight piece ensemble, every instrumental detail is elevated to cinematic heights â it really does feel like weâre witnessing a Hollywood starlet in her golden era. âWoah, Iâm playing at the Royal Albert Hall,â the singer croaks in disbelief later in the set, as the gravity of the moment really hits her.

As Laufey drifts through tender moments like âValentineâ and âSecond Bestâ, the absorbed front row restrains themselves from belting every word, instead demurely cocking their heads and lowering their voices to a respectful whisper. She lifts the spell on âFalling Behindâ, finally calling on the crowd to sing along before she trades her guitar for the cello (âBeautiful Strangerâ,âI Wish You Loveâ) followed by the piano (âPromiseâ) without even breaking a sweat.
But itâs Laufeyâs powerhouse pipes on âGoddessâ that makes for the showstopper moment, which sends roaring cheers high up into the domeâs rafters. Fan favourite âBewitchedâ prompts fans to light up the room with a sea of starry phone lights, before Laufey introduces her identical twin sister Junia to play violin on her viral bossa nova-inspired hit âFrom The Startâ.
There are moments tonight when it feels like weâve been transported into the past. Except Laufeyâs music isnât from a bygone era â sheâs the future of modern jazz, pushing the genre forward while fiercely protecting it. âI had these big dreams of becoming a singer, and I didnât think it was possible,â she tells the crowd in a vulnerable moment before âLetter To My 13 Year Old Selfâ. If only younger Laufey could see her now.
Laufey played:
âWhile You Were Sleepingâ
âValentineâ
âSecond Bestâ
âDreamerâ
âFalling Behindâ
âBeautiful Strangerâ
âI Wish You Loveâ
âPromiseâ
âLike The Moviesâ
âNocturne (Interlude)â
âLet You Break My Heart Againâ
âCalifornia And Meâ
âGoddessâ
âFragileâ
âBewitchedâ
âBoredâ
âLovesickâ
âFrom The Startâ
âLetter To My 13 Year Old Selfâ
âIt Could Happen To Youâ
The post Laufey live in London: an exquisite evening of pure musical excellence appeared first on NME.