Here’s the latest on Laufey’s music genre as of 2026:
- Laufey continues to defy a single genre, blending jazz, pop, classical, and retro-inspired influences. Recent interviews and coverage highlight her movement across jazz-pop with orchestral textures, while insisting the core is pop at heart. This cross-genre approach has become a hallmark of her identity as an artist, not a strict label.[2][3][8]
- Her 2023 album Bewitched anchored her in jazzy, vintage-inspired pop, and her 2024–2026 work expanded into more intricate arrangements and a broader palette, including orchestral elements and sophisticated chord progressions typical of jazz and classical music.[3][4][2]
- Industry coverage in 2025–2026 emphasizes that “Is it jazz? Is it pop?” is less a question than Laufey’s ongoing project of blending moods and eras. Her third album, A Matter of Time, is framed as a genre-defying release that leans into jazz-pop with classical strings but remains firmly rooted in contemporary pop storytelling.[4][6][3]
- Public narrative around her music emphasizes that she crafts a personal sound rather than fitting into a single category, drawing on Icelandic-Chinese heritage and a wide range of musical influences, from Norah Jones-like crooning to vintage musical theater textures.[2][3][4]
- In 2026, through major features and her own statements, Laufey positions her music as genre-fluid and mood-driven, focusing on what fits the song rather than a fixed label, with ongoing projects and live performances illustrating this approach.[6][3]
Illustration: If you’re exploring her sound, listen to Bewitched for the jazz-pop blend, then sample A Matter of Time to hear the expansion into orchestral textures and more complex harmonies, all while maintaining pop accessibility.[3][4][2]
Citations:
- Laufey’s genre-blurring jazz-pop with classical influences described in NPR interview and Guardian profile.[1][2]
- NYTimes profile framing her as a genre-defying artist with a pop core and retro influences.[3]
- Wikipedia and official sources noting later releases and artistic direction toward a multi-genre, mood-driven approach.[5][4]
Sources
As the Grammy-winning singer-songwriter begins a sellout world tour, she talks about how a '21st-century girl' is making young fans nostalgic for a crooning jazz era they never knew
www.theguardian.comStop asking Laufey about genre. Her new album "A Matter of Time" blends jazz chords, pop melodies and classical strings into a sound that she says reflects "whatever came to my heart."
apnews.comWhimsical and romantic, the music of Icelandic singer and cellist Laufey Lín Bing Jónsdóttir blends pop, jazz, classical and bossa nova – a "mishmash," she calls it. Her latest album is "A Matter of…
www.cbsnews.comThe Grammy Award-winning singer and musician had rigorous classical training. Now she's making music that crosses genres: "I've been inspired by Golden Age films, the va-va-voom of it all," she says.
www.npr.orgOfficial site for Laufey
www.laufeymusic.comThe genre-defying musician makes retro earworms infused with the second guessings of a Gen Z diarist. Her third album, 'A Matter of Time,' is due in August.
www.nytimes.comABC News' Phil Lipof spoke with Grammy-nominated musician, composer, and singer Laufey about her record-breaking new album "Bewitched."
abcnews.com