Is Laufey jazz? 

Laufey is actually Norwegian death metal but you guys aren't ready for that conversation.

Maybe the real Jazz was the friends we made along the way.

god this video was perfect. love how subconsciously there’s not one diss to her as a TALENT. because that’s clearly obvious. But wow, the topics you touched on and painting a perspective on how easy it is to throw around genre titles just because it “sounds like this” is very eye opening. I can totally see how it comes off as gatekeeping and a bit pretentious, but it’s kind of like you can’t call Gatorade, water, just because it contains water. same goes for sports, occupations, etc. In the end though, Laufey is an extremely refreshing sound for the pop world. period.

I'm 50, and my 17 year old son played Bewitched for me a few days ago, and I was blown away. It was an absolutely delightful surprise. I am becoming a fast fan.

How can Laufey save jazz, when Ryan Gosling already saved it?

To me Laufey is pop with a lot of jazz influences--similar to how Japanese Citypop isn't R&B or funk, but sure as hell sounds like it on first listen. She's a gateway drug for lots of young people to the world of jazz without being pedantic or too technical and I think it's a win. While she isn't necessarily jazz, she is jazzy and will make millions more look into the genre and even explore other jazz adjacent genres, and that is frankly a win for all music.

Whatever gets younger people more into Jazz is a thumbs up from me, Laufey is a wonderful artist that scratches the itch that I’ve been looking for when it comes to orchestral or Jazzy feelings

Its so fucking weird seeing the attention around Laufey from the perspective of being an Icelander. Here in Iceland she is relatively unknown and i only learned of her a few weeks ago. She is currently the biggest Icelandic artist (judging by spotify mothly listeners)

As a jazz musician, Laufey has saved pop music for me.

I think ppl that don't know jazz shouldn't call her the savior of jazz, but she also is able to link ppl to discovering the culture. If jazz wants ppl to discover it, that is

Besides her obvious talents as a musician and entertainer, I will always appreciate Laufey for instigating this conversation and ultimately inducing Adam Neely to turn me on to Emmet Cohen. Thank you, thank you!

Until this morning, I had no idea who Laufey was (where the "f" is like a "v"), or her music. Apparently, her influence is so great, a musical genius had to describe her and her music and jazz for over half an hour. It has been enlightening to find BOTH the influencer and the educator! If nothing else, let us celebrate the fact Laufey is deftly touching, if not emulating, more complex musical presentations that big music companies ignore. It has been a good morning of discovery except for one thing: Adam, are you holding that cup for security, or to actually drink something--which you didn't during the whole presentation? Thanks for bringing this to the world!

"It's not jazz unless it comes from New Orleans, otherwise its just sparkling blues" is such a great line

As someone who attempts to make nuanced video essays about music, I know just how difficult it is to present complicated topics like this clearly and intelligently, whilst at the same time showing such empathy and respect - that's why I've always admired your work Adam.

I am blown away by how clear, objective, based on evidence, acknowledging her talent and respectful you are all at the same time.

I am a fan of Laufey's music but I've loved jazz before discovering her. I feel like her music can lead her fans to branching out to more artists who do traditional jazz or have a jazz sound. I probably wouldn't have found this video if Laufey's name wasn't in it, but I'm really glad I did watch this. I learned a lot more about history the of Jazz and more artists I can now listen to. I appreciate the time and effort you put into this and the respect you have towards the culture.

I never thought jazz was dying tbh. Its just changing.

Jazz isn’t dying, it’s just not playing on radio nor dominating movies. Jazz is the underground music that will forever live

I really loved your video, and I think what you said about Laufey being a bridge to finding this history and true modern renditions of it is very important! I personally have always loved listening to jazz classics growing up which is what attracted me to Laufey’s music because I admire when artists can mix different styles or genres of music into something new. I’m excited to listen to Esperanza Spalding (who I can’t believe I haven’t heard of 🥲) and “Live at Emmet’s Place” thanks to you!

"Classical Music" is a multi loaded term that covers different time spans based on which meaning is loaded into it. I appreciate this video for getting into the specifics of an older use of the term "Jazz"

so Laufey needs more jazz friends, to make jazzier jazz with

Jazz is not dying. It just smells this way.

I found this a really helpful, inspiring video Adam- it lands like a wonderful recap of modern music history, wrapped around a context rich interpretation of Laufey’s own art.

If Laufey gets people into jazz, more power to her. That's a great thing. I want people to explore the genre and see all it has to offer. Jazz is a world treasure.

Sungazer should record laufey songs and keep the jazz tradition alive.

The fact that vocalists weren't a part of the musicians union in the 1940's is hilarious

I won’t say you’re my introduction to jazz but you were a catalyst towards my passion for it and I’ve learned a lot about it as I watched your videos, so thank you for the knowledge and the passion you’ve helped me find in this beautiful genre

This is a great video. The references, the self-reflection throughout the video and especially at the end, the quotes and meticulous research that went into the video, the examples and artists mentioned - all of it was so well-rounded and expertly curated. You made a point, and you made it whilst showing a lot of respect towards all artists you mentioned. Very well done. You gained a new patreon subscriber.

As a young college musician who listens to pop, classical, and jazz music. I think the best way to explain it is "jazz-influenced." You can most definitely see her love and admiration for it in her music. And while the world that covers her may be disconnected from jazz, I know firsthand that young jazz musicians appreciate her music, myself included. And while it may not be "jazz," it's a welcomed take on it.

Some people in these comments clearly didn't watch the whole video; its great that Laufey's reintroducing the work of 20th century Jazz musicians to a younger audience. The point Adam is making, however, is that because Laufey herself, and the people who listen to her, are so disconnected from jazz culture the modern, young, jazz culture of today is being treated like it doesn't exist. Jazz isn't dying when Emmett Cohen's living room is thriving with young performers every week, or Samara Joy is winning Grammy awards. And its misleading for Laufey to say that, but her comments probably come from not being aware that this scene exists because she was never steeped in jazz culture. She still makes great music -- clearly influenced by jazz vocabulary in many respects, but she's not reviving a genre/cultural scene that never died in the first place. As an aside: Laufey's classical background combined with her love of jazz is probably what creates that musical theatre sound. Its very Rogers and Hammerstein. MGM musical. Lovely, wonderful music. Rich and lush, but the performances are definitely informed by her classical orchestra background, so it wasn't surprising to hear that she's never been to a jazz bar before. Seeing her live in March before anyone tries to jump on my neck and say I'm a hater btw

I loved this. I always do whenever I take the time to watch your video essays! :) Thank you so much, Adam, for shining some light on these topics and broadening my view on music. I hope to listen to Sungazer live some day

This is such fantastic commentary on this subject, very enlightening. Thank you for this

I think another big part of Laufey’s appeal with Gen Z is the romanticism of her music. Everything she does evokes a true and whole romance that feels out of reach in the modern world/dating arena, which is (I think) why she talks longingly about the ambiance of being in a jazz club a few decades ago when that still exists today. A lot of younger people are searching for something deeper and the nostalgia and romanticism of the past provide that outlet. In that sense, it’s not so much about jazz as it is the vibe, hence the disconnect between Laufey and fans with the thriving jazz scene that already exists right now. As a hopeless romantic myself, that’s the biggest allure to her music for me, and she does an excellent job of tapping into something that feels missing in the modern world.

CORRECTIONS/CLARIFICATIONS (will update) 1. In an earlier edit, I call Ella Fitzgerald Lady Day, for some reason. Lady Day was Billie Holiday. Whoops! I edited this line out using the RU-vid editor, just FYI. 2. Sarah Vaughan's name was misspelled. 3. The gig in Tallinn 🇪🇪 is on Nov. 14th, not Nov. 13 4. I used the term "British Isles" when in reality I meant Scotland and Ireland. I apologize, the very last thing I want to do is aggrandize the English. 5. They weren't bowler hats, they were trilby hats, apparently. Please keep leaving my errors in the comments, it feeds the algorithm.

you've done a great ambassador for Jazz, saved all the recommendations. Came from listening to laufey to listening to random jazz playlists to now having acc modern artists to listen to + a whole live stream. Your respect to music is commendable

this is called thinking long and hard about something. we should all be interested, curious and listen when people do this. thinking long and hard about things. as always, great content, adam!

Laufey herself describes her music as a mix of pop, jazz and classical music, so saying that she's jazz's «savior» may be an overreaction to her success, but the passion she shows for this genre definitely can be a bridge to jazz for gen z people (as a Laufey fan who started listening to Chet Baker and Elle Fitzgerald regularly thanks to her). it's more about who is listening to her

People need to rebuke the idea that "a music form being alive" is the same statement as "a music form is making certain record execs or streaming services a LOT of money." Jazz is thriving. I was lucky enough to see James Carter recently and it was one of the most incredible experiences of my life, and I'm 22.

I’ve seen several of your videos and you consistently do a great job. I think you did a very fair and intelligent analysis of Laufey. I had never heard of her before.I started playing drums in second grade, and in my early teens I decided that the most demanding music for drum set was jazz, so I started studying jazz drummers and reading some jazz history. I went chronologically from Baby Dodds on up to guys like Billy Hart. I went to college as a music major. My very first class was “Scope and Methods of Afro-American Music”. It was 1976 and I was in a New Jersey college. The professor, the first Black instructor I’d ever had, walked into the room. He said nothing, but dropped the needle on a record of Billie Holiday’s “Strange Fruit”. I had heard the song before, but hearing it in this context gut punched me. I felt like “OK, I’m a skinny white kid from the woods” . “I’ve got no business playing this music.” The other jazz professor was a white guy, had played with Benny Goodman, successful in NYC. He taught the history of jazz and ran the jazz performance classes. I saw that he was respected by many Black musicians, and the whole color thing was apparently no big deal. I've approached some Black drummers from time to time about my uneasiness. Their response was “You’re treating the history and the music with respect. Play” and “The music is in the air; it belongs to everybody”. I think demonstrating the knowledge and respect for the history and the inequities that formed the music is important. Without that, it’s a parody, a mimicry. I’d like to hear that Laufey has been able to articulate her intent. If one intends to play music informed by mid century pop, they need to be informed about mid century pop. If someone intends to perform in the jazz tradition, they should be informed about the jazz tradition. I sometimes think of Shel Silverstein's Folk Singer's Blues. Shel didn’t have an answer there either.

Thanks, Adam! This review of Laufey's music is informative and educational in a larger sense of modern music history. I just discovered Laufey's music and songs. I am impressed with her musicianship and ability to sing beautifully and play multiple instruments. I am 72 and grew up with pop music. For me, Laufey is no Joni Mitchell, but then, of course, she does not have to be, because she is refreshingly herself. As a young artist with tremendous skill and musicality, she will evolve and deepen and that is the calling of every real artist in my view.

Ai Patrick is the one saving the jazz genre!

Well played on your commentary Adam, done with class and clarity!!!

This is such a cool educational video, really enjoyed it and learnt a lot. Thank you!!

I had no idea the close voices of the 40s got a boost from a general strike. Shows how much we get taught about the history of labour...

I *_REALLY_* enjoy her Bossa Nova influences, I always wished there was more of that genre in modern music. Maybe it will happen now :)

New subscriber. Thank you for schooling us on this amazing artist! Enjoyed your video.

This was a wonderful video, thank you for making it

She uses jazz to spice up her music, which is much needed since pop music has become so formulaic.

why is “laufey is not real jazz” an insult? “laufey is not real death metal” is not an insult either. her music is beautiful, just categorized under the wrong genre

"It's not Jazz unless it comes from New Orleans, otherwise it's just sparkling Blues." What a banger statement.

Clicked on the video ready to fight you in the comment but left learning so much and feeling humbled. Thanks for an awesome educational video essay!

I wrote the arrangement of I wish you love for Laufey and the symphony, nice to hear that it has reached the ears of so many. ❤

As a fan of Laufey, I've been wondering whether her genre is really jazz since I have never listened to any jazz music before. I have to say this video has answered all my questions from a professional perspective. That's exactly what we need.

I LOVE Laufey and I really loved this video. It comes across as a good faith well-meant advice from a big brother. Loved it. Thanks for this. 👍🏻

Haven't been myself in a couple years. Started therapy last month, and I've been writing like crazy and socializing way more. Tonight i was pleasantly surprised by my mind to be like "damn, i need Adam Neely in my life again. I was thriving when i was at this channel every few days" 🌻💛

You know this new "jazz" thing is becoming really famous!

Adam Neely is so cool I wish music was real :(

I was so surprised seeing her pop off, she came into my feeds out of nowhere, with wonderful music, and I was incredibly impressed at the following she already has. I thought it sounded familiar, and now I know why enjoy her tunes, Chet Baker she reminds me of indeed. Thanks Adam!

Brilliant discussion, very carefully and skillfully handled. I really hope Laufey watched and heard your (gentle) call to action.

Laufey is like a arrow sign spelling "Jazz-land". Some of us who already knows the way will look at it and realise that her music is pointing us in the right direction, while others will walk up to it, read it, and think that they're already in Jazz-land.

I’ve listened to laufey for a while and I never thought of her as a jazz artist until someone said it. Like obviously when she sang standards I understood that it was a jazz song, but I think she had such a unique sound to her music that I always just considered it “Laufey.”

Thoughtful, insightful, and informative... one of your best videos. Some nice perspectives about culture that are worth considering outside of the Laufey/jazz question.

Loved this breakdown. Great job.

Jazz or not, the girl can deliver. This is the first I've seen or heard of her, but GODD DDAMM, she has a voice to die for.

As an Icelander I must say: Excellent pronunciation of her name! Those double vowels are trixy, well done Adam 🙏

Wow this was a terrific video that helped me understand music just a tiny bit better. I super appreciate that Adam isn't being a gatekeeper but he's still talking about real traditions and shared culture.

Looking forward to seeing you live in Toronto! Great video!👍🏾❤️

They say jazz is dead, but a “jazz” band just won best album of the year for the mercury prize in the UK. The London jazz scene is on fire atm

I love Laufey’s music, and the “saving jazz” narrative still kind of rubbed me the wrong way. I’ve seen a lot of skilled young jazz musicians and singers who haven’t gotten that level of attention for some reason. Still, I first saw her cello videos and was really impressed! I hope this tide lifts all boats!

I clicked on this video and now i finally know how Laufey is pronounced. and as a special bonus we got an entire detailed informed analysis! thanks adam neely, also that MvC2 cover you were in with 8 Bit Big Band the other day slaps

I absolutely love jazz, especially bossa nova, so finding Laufey was a blessing

as a longtime jazz enjoyer, i believe that new musicians like samara joy are extremely important to the genre, but we cannot fully rely on them to keep jazz fresh and popular, especially among younger generations. this has happened in rock before with bands like 5sos who incorporated a few elements of the genre into their otherwise pop sound, and doing so they generated curiosity in young teenagers which made them delve deeper into the rock genre (i'm a perfect example of this). taylor swift and her country-pop thrilled me as a child, and now i'm a huge fan of jimmie rodgers and hank williams, just to name a few. we NEED these young artists to form connections between an extremely pop-oriented young audience and these older, more "sophisticated" genres which seem unaccessible to many youngsters otherwise. there's no need to put laufey's music into a box, neither there is one to precisely classify her as an artist. she's clearly on a league of her own, and both pop and jazz artists can appreciate her for this very reason.

From a casual jazz fan perspective I wouldn't say jazz is dying. It's taking some new paths for sure, one of which Laufey is following, but there are also many others. We have pretty strong jazz traditions in Poland and some interesting gen z jazz bands. Most notably Immortal Onion, which I highly recommend to check out if you haven't. Cheers!

thank you for such a well researched video!!

Thanks so much for introducing her. Her music sounds from heaven.

Context - I am a lifelong musician - though not a professional one anymore. Couldn't pay the bills playing fretless electric bass for some reason. But it's interesting - I had not heard of Laufey before this take down, now I can't get enough of her. I believe she is an innocent prodigy, full of talent. And if she is guilty of anything, it is letting her press agent get carried away with the whole saving jazz nonsense. All that said, she is an amazing talent, and a joy to listen to. And I think it's nice that she doesn't take herself or Jazz too seriously.

I'm personally a big fan of Laufey and I agree that her music isn't truly jazz. I love jazz and that's partly why I appreciate her songs so much, which sounds contradictory, but her music is inspired by jazz and uses styles that originate from that genre. Her music isn't jazz, but it's related enough that it's a nice hybrid of modern alternative/pop and jazz because classic jazz doesn't appeal to many people anymore, unfortunately. So credit to her for her branding. It's introducing jazz ideas to pop music, which is something especially teens are much more familiar with and will more easily accept and enjoy.

As someone who's work is very much in the mid century pop world myself, I can understand both the desire of the masses to look at Laufey as a new bringer of jazz music, and the push back from actual jazz musicians. It is interesting as there are other artists doing similar music like those you've mentioned, and even some as popular as Michael Buble. My work leans heavily into Italian American artists like Mario Lanza and Sergio Franchi who were rooted in Opera and Italian song, but also the mid century pop standards often associated with jazz. When you present this kind of material to an audience who is unfamiliar with it, but do it well, you create this sensation of "oh, this is opera" or in Laufey's case "oh, this is jazz." The audience, who hasn't been exposed to this is shocked, because they never knew they'd love this music. I get this a lot actually. Anyway, this was really well thought out and well done. Very nice video.

So so glad you brought esperanza into this ❤

As a metal listener (and its sub-genres,) I am delighted to see LITERALLY ANY OTHER GENRE at the center of the "this artist isn't [blank]" argument.

As a Laufey fan, the recent narrative that Laufey is a jazz musician really caught me off guard. I think this video was sorely needed

Dang. Full on missed your Dallas show. Had no idea. My bad. Come back next year I’ll pay more attention. Hope the tour is going well!

Brilliant! Adam, Kudos for creating this editorial. It offers a fine educational opportunity for both Jazz & MidCentury Pop fans… and for any music lover! Thx for making so many important & insightful points here and for adding helpful visuals & clips. I do hope (with Laufey’s help) this goes viral, leading many of us to explore all of your connections, references & allussions. Regarding Laufey, let a thousand flowers bloom. Why not bring more kids to the joy of learning music via both routine & novelty (while be careful & thoughtful with our terms). This was quite helpful w/o being snobbish. Promote music education for the sake of enjoyment. ❤🎉

I love how Adam slowly changes his pronunciation of Laufey from the original way to say it in the Icelandic way to almost saying Levy at the end.

She’s a gateway to jazz for pop fans

weird, while stumbling my way through music via the youtube algorithm (which is very good btw), it served me up Laufey, and I found it shocking but refreshing to hear something like that being popular today... so I searched her name and saw your video. So cool.

So precise, so neat, with all the nuances. Excellent video

i have heard this kind of jazz/pop/bossa from japanese bands (e.g. lamp) and honestly i'm quite happy that it's making its way to the rest of the world

My first exposure to jazz music was a show on PBS that would show live jazz bands playing club sets. I was about 8 and I had no idea what jazz was. The sound was so complicated, but I could tap my foot to it. Seeing those guys look at one another, moving their hands so fast but seeing their faces slowly light up and knowingly smile at one another has put me on the path to become the man I am today - the guy nobody wants to let pick songs for party playlists.

Adam- this is a really thoughtful piece. Well done.

Absolutely brilliant vid. Thank you, Mr. Neely. You made a whole bunch of very astute comments. Well, one good thing about Laufey's music is that it exposes young people to a richer harmonic vocabulary beyond the insipid simple triadic and modal sound of so much rock-pop music. Glad to see you covered "Emmet's Place" as well.

Great video Adam! I was actually friends with Laufey at Berklee, we were in Orchestra together our first year. It’s so amazing to see the success of my colleagues. It’s interesting you mention the disconnect between jazz culture, when we were at school she always seemed more comfortable in classical circles. She would even joke to me about how she wanted to switch to voice principal but Berklee, would take away her scholarship since she auditioned on cello. Its amazing to see something that started as her branching out in to something she wasnt as comfortable with turn in to such a huge success for her! I think overall what comes with being thrust in to large popularity at a young age and being associated with a genre you’re new to comes with a set of challenges. It’s a learning experience and i’m excited and so proud of what she has in store for the future!

"It's not exclusive, but inclusive, which is the whole spirit of jazz." - Herbie Hancock

great detailed comparison in the first half of the video. really good argument points being made.

Excellent excellent excellent summarizes my life of 82 years of jazz music. Thank you so much.

That "jazz is dying" thing is exactly like "rock is dead" mantra. I hear this since my first ever conscious interaction with rock music in 2000. I hear thousands of great albums a year to this day, and people nagging about "rock\metal is dead". It annoys the hell out of me

Laufey is awesome. Jazz doesn't need saving.

You once remarked the responsibility behind creating a video which potentially 1M people would watch was intimating. I always enjoy how you intelligently layer and explain your topics. With that said I have been waiting 2 months for another video. After watching your newest video, a couple of days ago, I noticed the number of views this one now has. Congratulation!!! Awesome job. Now, I'm just waiting again.... 😊

Great, beautifully written video. Thank you.

I'd love to watch Adam making a case for hip-hop as a form of jazz.