Laufey’s “Bewitched” debuted at Number 23 on the all-genre Billboard chart on Sept. 8, which is coincidentally also her lucky number. The support this album has garnered just a month after its release is unreal, and many listeners will agree that it’s well deserved.
The album already reached over 240 million streams and has even managed to break a record on Spotify, making it the biggest first day for a jazz album on the platform in history. Choosing a couple of the best songs was a difficult feat, but here is my top five ranking of Laufey’s newest releases.
5. “Must Be Love”
“Must Be Love” is one of the greatest examples of how beautifully Laufey crafts the lyrics for her music. The song itself is about falling in love, but not in the sappy way like in the movies. It has a sad, longing, feeling to it, almost like it’s trying to make you wonder if you’re really in love.
4. “From the Start”
“From the Start” is the lead single for “Bewitched.” Upon its release, it was proven to be extremely successful, managing to garner up to 1 million streams within 24 hours. It has gained a further 1.75 million streams a day since, becoming one of the most-streamed jazz songs in the world.
3. “Lovesick”
“Lovesick” portrays emotion in a way I’ve never experienced before through music. It starts off slowly and becomes more intense the further you get into the song. The chorus sounds like it’s desperate to hold onto something that’s beginning to slip away.
2. “Bewitched”
“Bewitched” is the track that shares a name with the album itself, and it is an amazing end of the tracklist. The orchestration is so good and immerses the listener into the song. There is no other way to describe it than a fairytale that has been pulled into reality.
1. “California and Me”
“California and Me” is by far the best song on “Bewitched.” Laufey’s vocals are undoubtedly the star of the show, with the instrumentals, provided by the Philharmonia Orchestra, following along in the background. The soft flow of the track is mesmerizing and has listeners empathizing with her as they listen to the lyrics.
Overall, “Bewitched” is an album filled with gorgeous vocals, amazing instrumentals and idealistic songwriting. The atmosphere, paired with her singing, can only be described as angelic and stunning. This is the second album Laufey has released, and we can be assured that any other songs that she releases will be out of this world.