Laufey has returned to usher in the festive season once again, unveiling her rendition of Santa Claus Is Comin’ To Town, joining her expanding tradition of modern holiday classics. The Icelandic-Chinese artist, composer, producer and Grammy-winner brings her jazz-and-classical infused warmth to the time-honoured tune, presenting another chapter of what has become an annual musical celebration.
Laufey’s Christmas releases have become as anticipated as the lights going up in Reykjavík’s city square. What started in 2021 with Love To Keep Me Warm with Dodie quickly evolved into a cherished tradition. The Christmas Waltz arrived in 2022, followed by Christmas Dreaming in 2023, and 2024’s charming Santa Baby, brought to life in a delightful video co-starring Bill Murray. Alongside those fan favourites sits Christmas Magic, an original track once available exclusively to Amazon Music, now officially part of the A Very Laufey Holiday collection.
Laufey has, in a remarkably short span, positioned herself as a defining voice of contemporary jazz-tinged pop, with a special affinity for seasonal nostalgia. Rather than merely recreating classic sounds, she reimagines the mood, romance and storytelling of early jazz and mid-century orchestral recordings, introducing younger listeners to the tradition while safeguarding its emotional core.
The new holiday release follows her acclaimed 2025 album A Matter Of Time, which debuted at #4 on the Billboard 200 and topped the Jazz Albums chart. The record found her pushing further into the blurred spaces between genres, working with returning collaborator Spencer Stewart and first-time co-producer Aaron Dessner. The partnership broadened her sonic palette without losing the intimacy and romantic perspective that has defined her work since her early days at Berklee College of Music.
On A Matter Of Time, Laufey explored love, vulnerability and the shifting emotions that come with adulthood, noting that she wanted creative freedom to “let my heart wander.” It is this approach, grounded in tradition yet resistant to limitation, that continues to resonate with audiences worldwide.
Laufey has just wrapped the North American leg of her record-breaking A Matter Of Time arena tour, a milestone unimaginable only a few years ago when she emerged from the conservatories and practice rooms that shaped her. Her ascent has seen her sell-out venues once reserved primarily for pop superstars, including Madison Square Garden, Hollywood Bowl, London’s Royal Albert Hall and Los Angeles’ Crypto.com Arena.
Europe and the UK are next, with 2026 concerts already sold-out at London’s O2, Paris’ Adidas Arena and Dublin’s 3Arena, demonstrating the extraordinary demand for her genre-spanning elegance.
Born in Reykjavík in 1999 to an Icelandic father and a Chinese classical violinist mother, Laufey Lín Bing Jónsdóttir grew up between Iceland and Washington, D.C., learning piano at four and cello at eight. Before her 20s arrived she had performed as a cello soloist with the Iceland Symphony Orchestra and earned a scholarship to Berklee College of Music. Her debut EP Typical Of Me and breakthrough single Street By Street in 2021 signalled the arrival of a singular new voice in the jazz-pop world, one bridging heritage and innovation.
Her subsequent albums – Everything I Know About Love (2022) and Bewitched (2023), the latter winning the Grammy for Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album – cemented her as a once-in-a-generation talent, connecting timeless styles with modern storytelling and a devoted global fanbase.
In addition to music, Laufey has been expanding her creative universe. Noise11 recently covered her next venture: the debut picture book Mei Mei The Bunny, arriving April 2026, exploring courage, creativity and musical dreams. She has also established The Laufey Foundation, supporting young musicians and orchestral training.
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