Bewitched (Laufey album)

Bewitched is the second studio album by Icelandic singer-songwriter Laufey, released on 8 September 2023 through AWAL. Described by Laufey as "a love album, whether it be a love towards a friend or a lover or life", Bewitched deals with a variety of romantic themes in its songs.

Bewitched
Laufey lying on her front wearing a silver crown and dress in front of a wooden wall
Studio album by
Laufey
Released8 September 2023 (2023-09-08)
GenreJazz pop[1]
Length48:19
LabelAWAL
Producer
Laufey chronology
A Night at the Symphony
(2023)		 Bewitched
(2023)
Singles from Bewitched
  1. "From the Start"
    Released: 11 May 2023
  2. "Promise"
    Released: 14 June 2023
  3. "Bewitched"
    Released: 26 July 2023
  4. "California and Me"
    Released: 24 August 2023

Musically, Bewitched consists of jazz pop ballads, predominantly written by Laufey and collaborator Spencer Stewart, and produced by the duo along with Philharmonia Orchestra and Dan Wilson. The album was met with acclaim from music critics, who complimented the songs for their modern spin on jazz and nostalgic quality at the same time; Laufey's technical skills were also a subject of praise in the reviews.

Four singles preceded the album: "From the Start", "Promise",[2] "Bewitched" and "California and Me",[3] the first of which marked Laufey's first song to chart on record charts. Upon release, Bewitched opened at number four on the Icelandic albums chart and marked Laufey's first album to chart in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Scotland, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Additionally, the album topped the Australian Jazz & Blues Albums chart. To support the album, Laufey will embark on an European concert tour in 2024.[3]

Background

With the announcement, Laufey described Bewitched as "a love album, whether it be a love towards a friend or a lover or life". She reflected on her first album's theme of becoming an adult and contrasted it with having since "experienced a little bit more of that, and [...] writing about the magic in the love of being young".[4]

Critical reception
Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic83/100[5]
Review scores
SourceRating
DIY[6]
The Line of Best Fit8/10[1]
NME[7]
Pitchfork7.0/10[8]
Uncut8/10[9]

Bewitched received a score of 83 out of 100 on review aggregator Metacritic based on six critics' reviews, indicating "universal acclaim".[5] Uncut felt that "if these [tracks] feel like throwbacks, they're no more so than Norah Jones' best work, and there's nonetheless something timeless about the breezy 'While You Were Sleeping' and, with its chugging guitars, 'Lovesick'".[9] In a five-star review, Hannah Mylrea of NME described Bewitched as "confident and musically ambitious, melding jazz, pop and modern classical composition", throughout which "Laufey's impressive technical ability shines".[7]

James Hickey of DIY wrote that Laufey's "crystalline voice and effortless charisma make this album into a gorgeous display of a unique talent", which he also described as "stuffed full of immaculate jazz ballads, shot through with luscious strings and swooning stories of hopeless love".[6] The Line of Best Fit's Matthew Kim opined that Laufey "improves on her already effective formula in just about every department", and while she does not "reinvent the wheel when it comes to the antique jazz-pop sound that she's already mastered", "she certainly diversifies her palette".[1] Alex Ramos of Pitchfork found it to be "bolder and more intentional" than Everything I Know About Love as "here, Laufey doesn't simply let jazz inform the work; she uses it as a vehicle to enact fantasies and ambitions, lending her contemporary musings a misty, out-of-time quality".[8]

Track listing

All tracks are written and produced by Laufey and Spencer Stewart, except where noted.

Bewitched track listing
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."Dreamer"  3:30
2."Second Best"  3:24
3."Haunted"  3:20
4."Must Be Love"
 3:04
5."While You Were Sleeping"  2:57
6."Lovesick"  3:45
7."California and Me" (featuring Philharmonia Orchestra)Laufey
  • Laufey
  • Philharmonia Orchestra
3:36
8."Nocturne (Interlude)"LaufeyLaufey2:24
9."Promise"
  • Laufey
  • Wilson
3:54
10."From the Start"  2:49
11."Misty"
 3:29
12."Serendipity"  3:39
13."Letter to My 13 Year Old Self"Laufey 4:22
14."Bewitched" 
  • Laufey
  • Stewart
  • Philharmonia Orchestra
4:06
Total length:48:19

Charts
Chart performance for Bewitched
Chart (2023) Peak
position
Australian Albums (ARIA)[10] 66
Australian Jazz & Blues Albums (ARIA)[11] 1
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[12] 181
Canadian Albums (Billboard)[13] 38
Icelandic Albums (Plötutíðindi)[14] 4
Irish Independent Albums (IRMA)[15] 6
New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)[16] 17
Scottish Albums (OCC)[17] 68
UK Albums (OCC)[18] 89
UK Independent Albums (OCC)[19] 20
US Billboard 200[20] 23

References
  1. Kim, Matthew (5 September 2023). "Laufey: Bewitched Review – refinement with purpose". The Line of Best Fit. Retrieved 8 September 2023.
  2. Kelly, Tyler Damara (15 June 2023). "Laufey announces her second album Bewitched". The Line of Best Fit. Retrieved 8 September 2023.
  3. Young, David James (1 September 2023). "Laufey announces 2024 Bewitched UK and European tour". NME. Retrieved 8 September 2023.
  4. Richards, Will (27 July 2023). "Laufey announces new album Bewitched with title track". NME. Retrieved 8 September 2023.
  5. "Bewitched by Laufey Reviews and Tracks". Metacritic. Retrieved 3 October 2023.
  6. Hickey, James (7 September 2023). "Laufey – Bewitched review". DIY. Retrieved 8 September 2023.
  7. Mylrea, Hannah (7 September 2023). "Laufey – Bewitched review: spellbinding modern jazz with a pop twist". NME. Retrieved 8 September 2023.
  8. Ramos, Alex (12 September 2023). "Laufey: Bewitched Album Review". Pitchfork. Retrieved 13 September 2023.
  9. "Laufey – Bewitched". Uncut. October 2023. p. 29.
  10. "The ARIA Report: Week Commencing 18 September 2023". The ARIA Report. No. 1750. Australian Recording Industry Association. 18 September 2023. p. 6.
  11. "ARIA Top 20 Jazz & Blues Albums Chart". Australian Recording Industry Association. 18 September 2023. Retrieved 22 September 2023.
  12. "Ultratop.be – Laufey – Bewitched" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 17 September 2023.
  13. "Billboard Canadian Albums: Week of September 23, 2023". Billboard. Retrieved 19 September 2023.
  14. "Tónlistinn – Plötur – Vika 37 – 2023" [The Music – Albums – Week 37 – 2023] (in Icelandic). Plötutíðindi. Archived from the original on 16 September 2023. Retrieved 16 September 2023.
  15. "Irish Independent Albums Chart". Irish Recorded Music Association. 15 September 2023. Retrieved 16 September 2023.
  16. "NZ Top 40 Albums Chart". Recorded Music NZ. 18 September 2023. Retrieved 16 September 2023.
  17. "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 16 September 2023.
  18. "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 15 September 2023.
  19. "Official Independent Albums Chart Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 16 September 2023.
  20. "Billboard 200: Week of September 23, 2023". Billboard. Retrieved 19 September 2023.
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