Position Paper 4- Wild Card

 Laufey

Laufey is one of the most popular female artists who has really taken off since 2020. As a singer-songwriter, she has incorporated music and whimsy into every part of her brand. Her music style, mannerisms, and international relations have allowed her to connect with a broad audience, bringing her into well-earned fame. 

The Beginning

Laufey Lín Bing Jónsdóttir grew up in Reykjavík, Iceland alongside a family with strong music ties. Her family's connection to music inspired her to pursue learning instruments at a young age. She started by learning the piano and later the cello, which is often featured in her musical performances. Ballet and figure skating were also key elements of Laufey's childhood. 

At age 15, Laufey started playing in the Iceland Symphony Orchestra as a celloist, which provided her with more hands-on performance experience. For lovers of the television series Got Talent, some viewers may recognize Laufey from her semi-finalist ranking in the 2014 run of Iceland Got Talent. 

@darkhylia “Some people” By Laufey herself in Iceland’s got talent @laufey #laufey #ilovelaufey #laufeylin #lauvers #artist #foryou #fyp #performance #music ♬ Some people by Laufey - Jordy

In 2021, Laufey graduated with a Bachelor's in Music from Berklee. Around the time of her graduation, she released the EP Typical of Me.  The extended play was a commercial success, bringing in over 10 million streams and being featured on AOTY. Laufey's signature jazz-pop style truly began to take shape around this time, setting her apart from other artists. 

Although many listeners did not witness Laufey's first release, her later singles from the same year brought in even more attention. The song that first caught my attention was "Let You Break My Heart Again," which was a song guitar-focused song featuring The Philharmonia Orchestra. 

Biggest Music Releases

Following her singing with AWAL, a Sony-owned music label, Laufey began work on full albums. Everything I Know About Love released on August 26, 2022 as Laufey's first full-length album. After already establishing a fanbase for her already released EP and singles, the album was heavily anticipated by her fans. With the increase of TikTok usage in 2020, Laufey responded with regularly promoting her music through her own TikTok account. 

@laufey Everything I Know About Love 💛 #songwriter #singer #originalsong #LIKEABOMBSHELL #fyp ♬ original sound - laufey

Using platforms like TikTok and Instagram to promote music has been a constant trend throughout Laufey's career because of how they allow her to connect directly with her audience. Prior to the release of her first album, Laufey promoted the single "Valentine" by posting videos of her lip syncing around Valentine's Day, which caused fellow hopeless romantics to immediately fall in love with the song. 

@laufey MY NEW SONG VALENTINE COMES OUT FEB 14TH ❤️ i dont know how to be in love 🥲 #lovesongcovers #coversforlovers #jazz #songwriter ♬ VALENTINE - laufey

In September 2023, Laufey released Bewitched, her second album. The album was released to immense acclaim, even more than her first album release. This was due to both Laufey's unique, beautiful music style and genius marketing tactics. In addition to her online content, Laufey "leaked" the sheet music for some of the songs on the album. She then posted about it on her social media pages and even promoted the idea of fans trying to play the music on their own ahead of the album's release. 

 

@laufey

link in bio to get the music! try to play the songs it’s like a little puzzle 😘 album out on friday!

♬ Falling Behind by Laufey - laufey

Bewitched promoted Laufey beyond her regular fanbase. One of the lead singles from the album, "From the Start," quickly went viral across social media platforms and has since been a staple for Laufey's performances. 

Laufey's third album arrived in August of 2025, and quickly went viral as well. A Matter of Time built off of the momentum that had already started to build throughout her previous releases, and truly displayed her jazzy pop sound that makes her so unique. Her mix of unique stage design and lovely instrumental sound brought her whimsical aesthetic to the forefront of every performance. 

@nekas.vinyl Had such an amazing time at the #amatteroftime tour in Seattle!! @laufey was amazing 🤍 Seeing her perform the paramount.. and now climate pledge!! So proud of how much her music has touched our hearts @laufeyland #laufey #lauvers #laufeytour #seattle ♬ original sound - neka’s vinyl

Branding Aesthetic

Laufey's music has a powerful way of connecting with her target audience, and her stage presence and intentional style have allowed for her personal brand to go beyond just her performances. Her overall aesthetic is a large part of her brand and has remained fairly consistent across the last five years. The main things that fans of Laufey think of are pastels, lace, whimsical, romantic, and vintage. Laufey has occasionally incorporated more of a midcentury aesthetic into her work, which has been the tonal shift that most contrasts the public's original perspective of her. However, this has resulted in a blend of vintage and new coquette that her fans have begun to call "Laufeycore." Laufey's style has become so recognized that it has been discussed in several different versions of Vogue. 

Marketing and Public Relations

Laufey is extremely intentional with how her personal brand interacts with others in the music industry and the general media. Every aspect of her online presence is carefully curated to her intended image. Her website currently features whimsical elements that call back to her album A Matter of Time as soon as you enter it. 

Her website is very easy to navigate, with buttons redirecting viewers to different social media platforms popping up automatically. Viewers can see an array of Laufey's most current music releases both by scrolling down and by signing up for Laufey's email mailing list. 

In addition to crafting a very on-brand social presence, Laufey offers a chance for her fans to learn more about her and about the world of whimsy and music. One of Laufey's most adorable endeavors has been her release of Mei Mei the Bunny. It released in April of 2026, and tells a story of Mei Mei, a bunny who is nervous about her first recital. 

Laufey has always been extremely passionate about music education, and she established The Laufey Foundation in order to help young music-loving people find support by giving grants and other funding to youth programs around the world. This foundation not only connects to her personal brand, but also incorporates the release of Mei Mei the Bunny, as one dollar from every Mei Mei merchandise purchased is automatically attributed to The Laufey Foundation. 

As a way to truly connect with worldwide fans, Laufey has incorporated a special global media tactic called "A Very Laufey Day." 

On August 25, 2025, Laufey celebrated the third annual event with the release of a website page that allows fans to locate different locations on a globe and see different sources of inspiration for Laufey. Certain locations have similar notes or may be in various languages. For United States fans, lots of chosen locations can be found in major cities like New Orleans or other areas on the East and West Coasts. 

Laufey is no stranger to working with other artists. Throughout 2025 and the beginning of 2026,  several pop culture figures have made appearances in her performances or other works. 

In September of 2025, Laufey brought out the global girl girl KATSEYE for a surprise performance of a jazzy rendition of "Gabriela," a song by the girls that was currently trending on social media platforms. 

@laufey Just living out my girl group dreams! @KATSEYE ♬ original sound - laufey

One of Laufey's most anticipated and famous collaborations, however, has been with the music video for her newest single "Madwoman." Beginning almost a month before the video's release, Laufey released a teaser trailer, showing off the midcentury aesthetic and surprise guests. These stars included olympic gold medalist figure skater Alysa Liu, actress Lola Tung, KATSEYE member Megan Skiendiel, and actor Hudson Williams. 

The inclusion of Alysa Liu specifically was very exciting for fans of the Olympics because of how Liu's performance to "Promise" by Laufey was her opening short skate for the 2026 Milan/Cortina Olympics. 

Other fans were quick to recognize the other celebrities from their work in the music industry as well as popular movies and television shows. International fans were excited for each individual's inclusion as well due to each person distinctly having Asian heritage. The fun, diverse celebrities and Laufey's jazzy voice resulted in a music video that felt very cinematic and fun. 

Despite not having a very long career, Laufey has established a strong presence within the music industry. Her overall aesthetic, musical style, and brand have allowed her to gain popularity while still holding to her unique identity. As she continues to produce music, it will be no surprise if she is able to reach even more fans internationally.