Laufey Signs With Interscope Records/ Verve Records (EXCLUSIVE)

Universal Music Group's Interscope and Verve imprints have jointly secured a recording deal with Laufey, the two-time Grammy-winning singer-songwriter. The move underscores the hybrid pop-jazz identity that has propelled her rapid ascent, and for a major label, it represents a calculated wager on an artist whose fanbase skews remarkably young.

The contract ends a six-year run in which Laufey operated entirely without major-label backing. Across that independent stretch, she released three studio albums and accumulated more than 7 billion global streams. In 2025, Time magazine included her among its Women of the Year, and Iceland's president granted her the title of Icelandic Knight. Her first children's book, "Mei Mei the Bunny," landed on the New York Times Bestseller list. She has performed alongside the Los Angeles Philharmonic, the National Symphony Orchestra, and the China Philharmonic Orchestra, and she wrapped an extensive world tour not long ago. At Variety's 2024 Hitmakers celebration, the publication named her Crossover Artist of the Year, with the award presented by her close friend, British singer Raye. She is currently working on new material. For Universal, the signing also carries strategic weight: Verve, founded in 1956, has deep roots in jazz, while Interscope brings contemporary pop reach, making the dual arrangement an unusually fitting home for an artist who straddles both worlds.

Laufey's influence reaches far beyond commercial metrics. She has become a pivotal force in steering younger audiences toward jazz and classical idioms. Variety's Chris Willman, reviewing her 2024 Hollywood Bowl performance, observed that although her set drew heavily on 1940s and 1950s standards, the crowd was overwhelmingly under 30, with many under 25, and a notable number dressed in her signature style. More recently, Variety's Jem Aswad praised her April Coachella set as a flawlessly executed production built around a top-tier jazz ensemble, a string quartet, and a dance troupe. He noted that Laufey shifted effortlessly between frontperson, pianist, guitarist, and cellist, layering intricate jazz harmonies beneath highly complex vocal lines. His conclusion: she is not merely reviving older musical forms but making them cool, and doing so with irresistible charisma. Her capacity to fill venues such as the Hollywood Bowl, a 17,500-seat amphitheater that has welcomed everyone from the Beatles to Beyoncé, illustrates how far her reach now extends beyond niche jazz audiences.

Only last month, Laufey presided over the fourth annual "A Very Laufey Day," a personally curated multi-city arts celebration spanning 75 cities across more than 25 countries. The programming featured live performances and gatherings in museums, libraries, bookstores, cafes, coffee shops, and even yogurt and ice cream parlors. Proceeds from brand partnerships and merchandise sales went to the Laufey Foundation, which works to expand access to education and resources for aspiring young musicians. That mission mirrors a wider industry shift in which artists leverage their platforms to create pathways for the next generation, especially in genres where institutional support has historically been scarce.