On May 3rd, 2024, up-and-coming jazz-pop singer Laufey performed her first night of the New York City portion of her Bewitched album tour at Radio City Music Hall. The show was truly enchanting for all those who had come to see the actual living, breathing Laufey performing on stage. Listening to her music—whether you’re crying to the more mellow songs or screaming the lyrics of an upbeat one—is great; however, getting to witness her live is an entirely different experience. Laufey has such a magnetic voice that is just truly ‘bewitching’ to hear, especially in person. The venue itself just screamed with elegance and sophistication, making you feel like you were attending a once-in-a-lifetime performance.
Laufey’s fans are some of the sweetest and most sincere types of people, making for an easy, genuine connection with one another. There was a type of community between all those who were there. Everywhere you looked you’d be met with bows in hair, soft-colored dresses, and elegant suits—just like an authentic jazz concert! With people organizing what they were going to wear to the show, there was still one unanswered question: ‘What was Laufey going to wear?’ In her previous performances and even the tour just before her “Goddess” tour, Laufey appeared on stage wearing various adorable dresses that added to that sense of anticipation while waiting for her to take the stage.
As everyone waited for the show to begin, those in the crowd couldn’t help but have their attention captured by the openers. Many of Laufey’s shows had different artists performing to start off her concert that fit the vibe that people should expect when she took the stage. For her shows in New York City, Laufey asked for the Wasia Project to open for her, and the iconic sibling duo wouldn’t disappoint. Running onto the stage, Olivia Hardy, the main singer of the two, immediately began with the song “Petals On The Moon,” with her brother Will Gao on the keyboard. The group explains that the song is “about constantly wanting more and getting through life as if you were a petal on the moon.” With this upbeat start to the show, the duo would continue with songs like “ur so pretty” and “impossible.” Nearing the end of their mini-performance as the lights came back on for a short intermission, the two thanked everyone for their support and told them to expect a great show.
As everyone waited patiently, the lights would then dim for a second time that night after the opener had set the tone for the rest of the concert. Everyone stopped what they were doing and directed their attention to the stage. The small orchestra would begin with a soft tune, preparing their audience for the main act; however, no one could have expected such a performance. On cue, Laufey would skip onto the stage, as her long, sparkly, concert-black dress flowed with her movements. She entered while singing “While You Were Sleeping,” causing the audience to erupt into cheers and screams of excitement. It was as if everyone there shared the same admiration for Laufey as they all watched in amazement and with wonder in their eyes. Once the song finished, the crowd applauded as Laufey bowed for her first song of the night. With that, she introduced the orchestra who would be performing with her that night before continuing on the show.
The night was filled with the songs from her Bewitched album along with various others that were a nice surprise to hear. Notably, the second song she played that night was her single “Valentine” which presumably describes Laufey’s experience with falling in love for the first time, singing about its confusion and her self-discovery as she navigates through it all. She also sang “Let You Break My Heart Again,” one of her earlier songs that kicked off her music career. Featuring the Philharmonia Orchestra, the single portrays unrequited love and the pain that follows. Its beautiful lyrics and hypnotizing harmony were incredible to hear live, making everyone there sit back in their seats and listen.
After playing a handful of songs and taking a slight break, Laufey talked to the audience a bit. She reminisced about a childhood memory she had when her parents took her to see the Rockettes at Radio City. She laughed while explaining that as she watched them performing up on the stage, she had a small dream of dancing up there with them—little did she know that she would be able to achieve it herself, up on the very same stage.
During another break, Laufey went on to just appreciate those who inspired her to become the artist she is today. While she spoke about the different jazz composers who were an influence on her, Laufey joked that most of these musicians are long gone. However, she perked up and told the audience that there was one, of the very few, that was still alive and that she had had the honor of even creating a song with them. She then announced that this person was here and when she called them out, the one who joined her was none other than Grammy-winner Norah Jones. Skipping onto the stage in a long pink dress and white cowboy boots, the two would come together to sing “Come Away With Me” by Norah Jones—a song about going away with the one you love without a care for anything else. After the two sang with one another, Norah would bow and leave the stage with the crowd applauding the great performance.
Eventually, Laufey approached her final song of the night. The song she saved for last had grown very popular on many platforms, gaining her lots of recognition and newer fans as it spread online. Her song “From the Start,” from her Bewitched album, is about that slightly awkward feeling you feel when around someone you like. Its cute, bossa nova-type tone made the song bound to be loved by almost anyone who heard it. Once Laufey got to a certain part of the song, she suddenly invited her twin sister, Junia, onto the stage to perform the violin solo. The two’s bond was very sibling-like on the stage with Junia jumping around Laufey and the two jokingly poking each other. Once the song slowed to its end, Junia would dance off stage with her violin.
Despite “From the Start” being the last song on her setlist, the crowd knew better than to believe that was entirely true. Even after Laufey exited the stage, bowing and waving goodbye with her orchestra following close behind, the audience didn’t budge in their seats. Instead, they chanted, “One more song! One more song!” Soon enough, their cries were heard and Laufey hopped back onto the stage, this time waving a hello. As the orchestra situated themselves once again, Laufey would speak into the microphone saying that she would not only encore one song, but two! With that, she would start singing another of her top songs, “Letter to My 13-Year-Old Self.” The mellow, bittersweet harmony spoke about a metaphoric letter that she had written to her younger self, telling herself not to worry so much about what people think and that it would all turn out to be worth it in the end. One of the lyrics of the song goes, “…One day you’ll be up on stage, little girls will scream your name.” At this part of the song, the crowd shouts “Laufey!” in response, causing her to laugh slightly before continuing. When it came to the end of the song, Laufey would then announce the next song she would sing. She started by saying that with every album she tried to cover a jazz song as a tribute to those who came before her. Laufey admitted that she got kind of carried away when she released the deluxe version of her Bewitched album, Bewitched: The Goddess Edition, and ended up having two tribute songs. This would transition into her actual last song of the night, singing one of the newly released songs from the deluxe version, “It Could Happen to You.” Originally by Jimmy Van Heusen, the song is about how vulnerable love can make someone, warning those listening about the life-changing events that could happen to them, making it sound like it comes from the singer’s personal experiences. The melody has been covered by many jazz artists, such as Chet Baker and Frank Sinatra, so it only made sense that Laufey would cover it as well. As everyone enjoyed the song, people started to be left with a bittersweet feeling as the impending end approached. When the song had concluded, Laufey thanked the crowd for coming and said that she hoped they enjoyed the show. Waving goodbye—this time, for real—she wished the audience a great night and that they got home safely.
Once she finally left the last person’s line of sight, the audience got up to leave. Though solemn about having to depart from such an amazing show, most people there couldn’t help but feel joy for getting to experience breathtaking performers like Laufey live on stage in front of them. The event was truly one like no other, something that only a few would get the chance to come across. The concert accurately lived up to its name: it was utterly bewitching.
