Introduction
Laufey Lín Jónsdóttir, the famous Icelandic jazz singer Laufey, released her third album, Bewitched, which presents the idea of romance in soothing or sorrowful ways. This artist created an album that contains songs to illustrate love stories that involve heartbreak, or the type that makes a person contemplate love as if it’s a dream. Fans of Laufey have heavily enjoyed the songs “Lovesick”, “From the Star '', “Promise", and "Bewitched”. These songs have resonated with people and she's received attention for how meaningful the lyrics are and how heavenly her music sounds.
“Lovesick”:
A highlight from Bewitched is the song "Lovesick,” as it paints a story of when Laufey lost someone she loved dearly. In the first verse, she is alone and sings, “So unlike me, somehow I fell in love with just three nights; those November days are still haunting me.” Laufey thinks about the person, wishing for their presence, and reflects on the nights when she started having feelings in November. As the chorus begins, she describes an enchanting scene “The gold rays fell on your skin, and my hair got caught in the wind.” The gold rays refer to the sun shining on the partner, picturing a golden moment. In the second verse, she sings, “Dreams are becoming nightmares in my bed since the last night that I spent with you.” The beautiful memories she dreamt of are becoming miserable memories since she’s now experiencing them slipping away. Lovesick is the story of how Laufey dealt with the disappearance of her special someone.
“Promise”:
One of Laufey’s early releases under Bewitched is the alluring song "Promise,” which portrays the story of regret she experienced by separating herself from someone she loved. She begins by stating she made a promise to distance herself by “taking a flight through the aurora skies”, leaving that person without saying her farewells. In the chorus, she sings, “It hurts to be something; it’s worse to be nothing with you.” This explains Laufey’s distress in this state of affairs. In the second verse, she feels challenged by desire and sings, “No matter how long I resist temptation, I will always lose.” These lines demonstrate how deeply Laufey feels, knowing that she cannot keep her promise forever. As the bridge plays, the lines “I've done the math, there's no solution, we'll never last” indicate that she has been thinking about how to make this relationship work, although there is no way. Unfortunately, she breaks her promise in the last verse and calls the person, but only because she sees a boy on Melrose Avenue who reminds her of the same person she abandoned. She wrote this song that expresses different emotions people feel when they avoid being close to someone they love dearly.
“Bewitched”:
“Bewitched” is a meaningful song because of how it displays the story of Laufey, who finds the love of her life, whom she treasures deeply. She describes every beautiful moment she has with him. The partner wraps Laufey in his arms and whispers “‘Keep me in your heart’” in the first verse. Laufey begins to feel confused as she wonders what the current desire she feels is—the love she’s finally acquired. In the chorus, she sings, “You bewitched me from the first time you kissed me.” She felt captivated by the moment they had together as they ran down the streets of London. The two lovebirds then experience the world “freezing” as her partner kisses Laufey good night. Her mind is unclear from the enchantment she felt. The special person “cast a spell on her heart,” which left her bewitched by this unimaginable love. In the second verse, Laufey realizes that when her special person is absent, she experiences anguish as she wonders, “You’re not even gone; I already miss you.” She describes her fury at missing him as she curses at the moon, losing control and crying her heart out. This beautiful piece of work resembles the overwhelming emotions one can feel when one meets their special person, the one they want to continuously pour their love into.
Cover Photo Courtesy of Flickr- https://flic.kr/p/2nD8ShA