Laufey Lín Jónsdóttir, who goes by the mononym Laufey, enchants her listeners in her sophomore album “Bewitched” with dreamy, modern jazz that makes them feel like they are in a romantic film.

Icelandic-Chinese singer-songwriter Laufey released “Bewitched” on Sept. 8. It is her second album after her debut “Everything I Know About Love.” In her debut album, Laufey is more of a hopeless romantic. Now, in “Bewitched,” she has learned a little more about love and has experienced heartbreak. 

Laufey grew up with classical music, as her mother is a classical violinist and her father’s record collection introduced her to jazz. In “Bewitched,” Laufey is leaning more into her classical and jazz roots, and attempting to modernize the two genres for her younger audience. 

Laufey got her start on TikTok, where she now has 2.9 million followers. In an interview with the Grammys, Laufey said that although she is writing songs that sound like old jazz, the audience can still relate with the modernity of the lyrics.

The album opens with the fairytale-like “Dreamer,” in which Laufey talks about how despite experiencing heartbreak, she is still a hopeless romantic at her core — “And no boy's gonna be so smart as to/Try and pierce my porcelain heart/No boy's going to kill the dreamer in me.”

Laufey talks about the hardships of love in the songs “Second Best,” “California and Me” and “Promise.” These songs describe how Laufey felt she was the second choice in this relationship and how her affection was unrequited.

“Must Be Love,” “While You Were Sleeping” and “Serendipity” paint a picture of a magical rom-com love. Laufey describes the feeling of falling under love’s spell and how she does not recognize herself. In “Must Be Love,” Laufey sings — “You make a sappy stupid something out of mе/The kind I swore I'd never be/I'm awake inside a dream."

The penultimate track “Letter To My 13 Year Old Self” is a vulnerable message written by Laufey to her younger self who had trouble fitting in. She apologizes to her, telling her that it will get better — “Keep on going with your silly dream/Life is prettier than it may seem/One day, you'll bе up on stage/Little girls will scream your namе.”

The record ends with the starry-eyed and cinematic title track. With mystifying music and honey vocals, Laufey describes the tale of falling in love — “You bewitched me/From the first time that you kissed me.” Laufey talks about someone she has been bewitched by, but little does she know she is also captivating her listeners.

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