When an artist signs to a major record label after generating more than seven billion streams on their own, the terms of the conversation change. Usually, young musicians look to major labels for the distribution and promotional muscle required to jump from small clubs to regional theaters. Laufey took the opposite route. Over the course of three studio records released independently, the Icelandic-Chinese multi-instrumentalist constructed a vast audience for acoustic, jazz-leaning pop entirely outside the standard corporate pipeline. With that foundation firmly established, she has now entered a joint recording agreement with Interscope Records and Verve Records as she prepares her next body of work.
The pairing of Interscope and Verve reflects the two sides of her commercial reality. Verve brings historical authority in vocal jazz and traditional pop, holding a legacy that matches her vintage sensibilities. Interscope brings the scale and distribution force of a pop powerhouse, equipped to service an artist who is already filling sports arenas across multiple continents.
The deal arrives straight off the road. Laufey recently wrapped her 70-date A Matter of Time global arena tour, concluding on September 12 at a sold-out venue in Mexico City before more than 17,000 spectators. The itinerary was notable for its sheer physical footprint, including multi-night engagements at Madison Square Garden in New York and Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, alongside appearances at London's Royal Albert Hall, Radio City Music Hall, and the Hollywood Bowl.
Rather than relying on a stripped-down touring group, she regularly folded local symphonic institutions into the live set. Collaborations with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, the National Symphony Orchestra, and the China Philharmonic Orchestra emphasized an allegiance to formal orchestral craft that dates back to her early childhood. Split between Reykjavik and Washington, D.C., she trained in classical piano and cello before enrolling at the Berklee College of Music. It was during her time at Berklee that she wrote and recorded her 2021 debut EP, Typical of Me, an early project that placed its lead single, Street by Street, directly at number one on Icelandic radio.
The recording industry took notice quickly. Laufey has picked up two Grammy Awards for Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album, first for her 2023 release Bewitched and again for 2025's A Matter of Time, an album she subsequently expanded with a deluxe edition. That critical acceptance has also opened doors for notable studio pairings across different musical generations. She has traded verses with legacy icons such as Barbra Streisand and Norah Jones, while simultaneously sharing tracks with younger peers like Beabadoobee and Role Model.
Her audience connection extends well past the concert hall and streaming platforms. In August, she organized the fourth edition of A Very Laufey Day, an arts initiative spanning 75 cities across more than 25 countries. The project brought classical and acoustic arts directly to neighborhood venues, incorporating ballet, opera, jazz, theater, and symphonic performances, alongside a 10-city series of Candlelight concerts. Community spaces including local bookstores, cafes, libraries, and museums functioned as official gathering hubs. All proceeds from the day, generated through merchandise and brand partnerships, went directly to The Laufey Foundation, an organization she founded to support music education and provide resources for young students.
The outside recognition has accumulated at an equally rapid pace. In 2025, TIME named her one of its Women of the Year, the president of Iceland presented her with the Order of the Falcon, and she became a New York Times bestselling author through her debut children's book, Mei Mei The Bunny. As she enters the studio to work on new music, the new partnership with Interscope and Verve will test how far her traditional sound can travel when backed by major label machinery, though the foundation beneath it is entirely her own.
