Laufey, the “Re-jazzification” of Gen Z
In the library, a girl studies for her midterms with wireless headphones in her ears. Curious onlookers notice her dedication to studying and wonder what she must be listening to. Is it Taylor Swift? Lana Del Rey? Olivia Rodrigo? A boy, too curious not to know, finally taps on her shoulder and asks her the long-awaited question.
"Jazz," she answers.
Wait, really?
Recently, jazz has seen a spike in interest. Although this would be more normal if it was an older demographic listening to jazz more, it is rather the opposite – where Generation Z is finally embracing the jazz scene as teenagers back in the early 20th century did. This is historically weird, as sometime post-1950s, the youth demographic has often been seen rejecting jazz and embracing more popular genres of music. This recent phenomenon is thanks to one self-proclaimed jazz singer: Laufey.
One teenager who listens to Laufey regularly is junior Haley Duncan, who found their appreciation for jazz through Laufey. "I started listening to her because I saw her on the internet," said Duncan. "I never listened to jazz, but now I'm kind of getting into listening to it because of her music." According to Duncan's 2023 Spotify Wrapped, she mostly listened to indie, pop and rap. But like many teenagers this year, jazz slowly crept into their mixes and playlists, all thanks to social media. "Definitely, the internet [helped boost Laufey to popularity]," said Duncan. "I think I never would have found her if I didn't have social media."
Because of her internet presence, Laufey continues to turn teenagers' heads with her music, introducing Gen Z to a new-yet-old style of music that has kept people entertained for a century. However, many people suggest that Laufey, although a self-proclaimed jazz musician (even dubbed "The Savior of Jazz" by Gen Z), isn't a jazz musician, but a pop musician with lots of jazz influence.
With this controversy, Jazz Band Director and Orchestra teacher Frederick Graf commented on the differences between the two clashing genres, and how Laufey could be a combination of the two. "I think the thing that defines jazz is probably the complexity of harmony," said Graf. "You find a lot of harmonies that have many more elements than you would find in pop. Pop music is designed for the masses; You want to have a catchy tune, simple harmonies and people head banging and singing along in their cars."
The insight of jazz music being more complex than pop, and because of this, it is evident that there is some sort of major difference between the two. However, many people think that Laufey is not only a pop singer, but someone whose music goes under the title of mid-century pop.
"I don't think there's much difference at all [from jazz and mid-century-pop]," said Graf, "and when you're talking about the middle of the 20th century, jazz was kind of the pop music of the day." Graf explained that while Laufey could be considered a jazz musician, she is mainly a pop musician with heavy jazz influence.
With all the buzz surrounding Laufey and her music, there is no doubt that jazz (or music with lots of jazz influence) is causing a stir in the music industry. However, some students, like junior Adam Jones, discovered jazz through another medium.
"What got me into jazz, personally, was joining the Jazz Band and playing in it firsthand," said Jones. "I only joined because I thought it would be fun, which it was, but it gave me a whole new light on the genre." With a new perspective on the style, he views Laufey as someone who also could be considered jazz. "While I don't know Laufey's music, I believe it comes down to what the artist wants to be," said Jones. "Some artists make jazz music and still don't consider themselves jazz musicians."
As a new year begins, 2023 will be remembered as a very important year for jazz, whether people think it is or not. Either way, jazz has been reintroduced into the youth demographic and has slowly been gaining traction due to Laufey and her jazz-influenced pop music. Jones states it clearly, saying, "Anything can be jazz, as long as it has the intent of having the jazz feel."
Story by Cameron Haughawout