Since bursting onto the scene with her album Everything I Know About Love in 2022, Laufey has won two Grammys and countless hearts. Her sultry voice and genre-bending sound have earned her a devoted fanbase, the Lauvers, who hang on every note. Whether you’re already bewitched by her music or just discovering her magic, here are 8 things to know about Laufey.

1. Laufey is a graduate of the Berklee College of Music

Photo: @laufey via Instagram

Photo: @laufey via Instagram

Laufey graduated from the Berklee College of Music with a Bachelor of Music in Professional Music. She is also a multi-instrumentalist, proficient in cello, piano, guitar, and even violin. She often incorporates elements of classical and jazz into her music and concerts.

2. Laufey’s Chinese name is 林冰

Photo: @laufey via Instagram

Photo: @laufey via Instagram

Born to a Chinese mother and an Icelandic father, Laufey grew up in Iceland but often spent her summers in China. Her Chinese name is made up of her mother’s surname, 「林」(Lin), and the Chinese word 「冰」, which means “ice,” nodding to her Icelandic roots. Her Chinese Lauvers have also given Laufey the endearing nickname 「冰冰」(pronounced “bing bing”).

3. Laufey started her own non-profit organisation

Photo: Samir Hussein/WireImage for ABA

Photo: Samir Hussein/WireImage for ABA

A champion of arts education, Laufey founded The Laufey Foundation to make music accessible to all. Having credited her own success to early music education, she actively speaks out against arts funding cuts, notably in her latest speech at the Grammys. Through her non-profit, she’s raised funds to nurture the next generation of musicians.

4. Laufey figure-skated as a child

Photo: @alysaxliu via Instagram

Photo: @alysaxliu via Instagram

When Olympic gold medalist Alysa Liu skated to Laufey’s “Promise” at the 2025 U.S. Figure Skating Championships, the performance went viral, sending the song into the trending charts. But did you know that Laufey herself was once a figure skater?

5. Laufey was on Iceland’s Got Talent and Iceland’s The Voice

Photo: Rich Polk/Billboard via Getty Images

Photo: Rich Polk/Billboard via Getty Images

Laufey’s love for performing started when she was young. She began performing alongside the Iceland Symphony Orchestra as a cello soloist at age 15. In 2014, she auditioned for Iceland’s Got Talent, finishing in second place. Then, in 2015, she made it all the way to the semifinals on Iceland’s The Voice. Here’s something you may not know: during her time on Iceland’s Got Talent, one of the judges told her that she might be famous in Iceland one day. As it turns out, Iceland was just the beginning.

6. Laufey has a twin sister named Junia

Photo: @junialin via Instagram

Photo: @junialin via Instagram

Laufey has an identical twin sister, Junia, younger by just 11 minutes. The two share more than DNA: Junia serves as Laufey’s creative director, helping shape the dreamy aesthetic that defines Laufey’s visual world. She recently directed Laufey’s “Lover Girl” music video, bringing her sister’s vision to life in a way that only a twin could.

7. Laufey holds a “best dressed” competition at each of her concerts

Photo: @laufey via Instagram

Photo: @laufey via Instagram

At every show, Laufey hosts a ‘best dressed’ segment, spotlighting fans who arrive in their most creative attire. Winners get to chat with Laufey and receive a crown from Mei Mei The Bunny — Laufey’s mascot (who’s rumoured to be Junia in disguise).

8. Laufey has her own book club

Laufey started her book club in August 2022 as a way to connect with Lauvers through her recent reads. She has credited literature as a source of inspiration for songwriting and describes books as a “wealth of words”, especially when she’s experiencing writer’s block. She also recently released her own children’s book called Mei Mei The Bunny.