Some say that today’s jazz musicians are the epitome of “right people, wrong time.” As coffee shops lean towards serenading college students with stripped-down pop, and as the age demographic of classical radio stations remains silver-haired, some fans worry that beloved jazz performers’ audiences are dwindling at a heartbreaking rate. However, it’s no mistake that Laufey’s “From the Start” – an unmistakably bossa ballad, brimming with pining strings and unrequited love – stole the hearts of global audiences. Now, Laufey and her new record are shooting to record-breaking heights on Spotify charts, leading many to newly fall in love with jazz.
Laufey’s 2023 album, “Bewitched,” has done exactly what its title implies. With its distinctive Brazilian rhythmic influences, instrumentals melting with romance, and Laufey’s timeless jazz tone, the record has entranced, dazzled, and (of course) bewitched young people. Generation Z is experiencing the magic of jazz during a revival, meaning the genre is focused on precisely what’s on our minds: relatable adolescent experiences like the whirlwind of young love in the 21st century, heartbreak, and growth.
The raw emotion in this record creates a tie of vulnerability between listeners and artists, leading many teens and young adults to shed tears (don’t kid yourself… you had to grab tissues, too, if I sure as hell did). Take, “Second Best,” for example – which brings anyone to their knees as Laufey confesses “Oh, you were my everything / I was your second best.” The exploration of tumultuous, spurned romance is everywhere in “Bewitched,” and listeners cannot help but feel heard as Laufey realizes throughout the fourteen tracks that “I know he don’t love me quite like I love him”. Despite the album’s intrinsic melancholy, the influences of jazz icon Ella Fitzgerald and Disney Princess soundtrack celebrity, Ilene Woods, also happily transport listeners to a time of cozy, lowly-lit jazz bars and waltzes along dimly lit streets with a lover.
It’s clear that Laufey’s album is wonderfully balanced. The ‘oldies’ feel of her smooth jazz mixes with a youthful upbeat spin; the loving undertones mix with the pining lyrical messages — these characteristics would normally contradict, but in “Bewitched” it just works. Tracks on the record like “Dreamer,” and “Must Be Love” wrap the listener in the enveloping influence of 50s harmonies and warmth, while infusing the lyrics with a heartbreak-fueled expression of modern feminine independence and self-exploration. At the same time, tracks like “While You Were Sleeping” and “Haunted” bring in well-beloved bossa-nova-influenced acoustics and intriguingly pop-y pacing to paint stories of stolen glances and infatuation that singers have been crooning about for decades. “Bewitched” is a perfect blend of past and present, both in terms of musical influence and lyrical narrative.
“Bewitched” bewilders me – it may be a cohesive account of Laufey’s failed love and stumbles, but it also embodies the softness, security, and joy of falling deeply in love. If there is one record in 2023 that should serve as a soundtrack to new romances, whether successful or not, it’s “Bewitched” in all of its beauty and vulnerability. Jazz has and always will be instrumental to the culture of love, and Laufey promises not to let this generation forget this with “Bewitched,” so we better listen.
Featured Image from laufeymusic.com
