Bewitched (Laufey album)

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)
Studios
Genres
Length48:19
LabelAWAL
Producers
Laufey chronology
A Night at the Symphony
(2023)		 Bewitched
(2023)		 A Matter of Time
(2025)
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

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.[4]

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. It won Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album at the 66th Annual Grammy Awards.[5]

Four singles preceded the album: "From the Start", "Promise", "Bewitched" and "California and Me", the first of which became Laufey's first song to enter the international record charts. Bewitched peaked at number two on the Icelandic albums chart and was Laufey's first album to chart in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Additionally, the album topped several jazz album charts around the world. To support the album, Laufey embarked on the Bewitched Tour.[6]

On 26 April 2024, Laufey released the deluxe edition of the album Bewitched: The Goddess Edition, which was preceded by the single "Goddess" released on the date of the announcement.[7] After the release, the album debuted at number one on the Icelandic albums chart, re-entered the charts in the other aforementioned countries and entered the charts in several European countries.[8]

Background

During 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] Shortly prior to releasing the album, Laufey made the sheet music available to fans.[9]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic83/100[10]
Review scores
SourceRating
DIYStarStarStarStar[11]
The Line of Best Fit8/10[2]
NMEStarStarStarStarStar[12]
Pitchfork7.0/10[13]
Uncut8/10[14]

Bewitched received a score of 83 out of 100 on review aggregator Metacritic based on six critics' reviews, indicating "universal acclaim".[10] 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'".[14] 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".[12]

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".[11] 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".[2] 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".[13]

Year-end lists

Critics' rankings for Bewitched
Publication Accolade Rank Ref.
Billboard Best Albums of 2023 46
NME The Best Albums of 2023 33
Uproxx The Best Albums of 2023 N/a
Variety The Best Albums of 2023 9
Vogue The Best Albums of 2023 N/a

Accolades

Awards for Bewitched
Organisation Year Category Result Ref.
Grammy Awards 2024 Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album Won [5]

Commercial performance

Bewitched debuted at number 23 on the US Billboard 200 and number 1 on the Jazz Albums charts with 23,000 album-equivalent units.[20] The album also broke records as the biggest debut for a jazz album on Spotify in the platform's entire history. Bewitched debuted at number 2 on Spotify's Top Album Debut Global chart (just behind Olivia Rodrigo's Guts album.)[21] The deluxe version, Bewitched: The Goddess Edition debuted at number 18 on the Billboard 200 chart and debuted at number 13 on the Official UK Albums chart, marking her first top 20 appearance on both charts.[22] Bewitched also charted in Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, and Sweden, and was particularly successful in Iceland, where it reached number 1 and remained in the top 20 for both 2023 and 2024.

With Bewitched, Laufey became the most-streamed artist from Iceland worldwide. The album's prominent single, From The Start holds the title of the most streamed jazz song in 2023 and one of the most streamed jazz songs of all time.[23]

Bewitched earned a Gold RIAA Certification on 11 March 2025, being Laufey's first album to earn a Gold RIAA Certification. The first 2 singles from the album, From The Start and Promise both earned RIAA Certifications as well. Promise earned a Gold certification, while From The Start went Platinum twice.[24]

Track listing

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

Bewitched track listing
No.TitleWriter(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)Laufey3:36
8."Nocturne" (Interlude)Laufey2:24
9."Promise"
3:54
10."From the Start" 2:49
11."Misty"
3:29
12."Serendipity" 3:39
13."Letter to My 13 Year Old Self"Laufey4:22
14."Bewitched" 4:06
Total length:48:19
Bewitched: The Goddess Edition bonus tracks
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
15."Bored" 3:33
16."Trouble"
  • Laufey
  • Stewart
  • Wilson
2:51
17."It Could Happen to You"
2:07
18."Goddess"Laufey4:27
Total length:61:17
Japanese edition live bonus tracks
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
19."Goddess" (Live from Home)Laufey4:42
20."Bored" (Live from Home) 3:40
21."Trouble" (Live from Home)
  • Laufey
  • Stewart
  • Wilson
2:59
22."It Could Happen to You" (Live from Home)
  • Heusen
  • Burke
2:21
23."From the Start" (Live from Home) 2:58
Total length:77:57

Personnel

Credits adapted from the album's liner notes.[1]

  • Laufey – vocals, guitar, cello, piano, production
  • Steve Haye – mixing
  • Joe LaPorta – mastering
  • Spencer Stewart – production (tracks 1–6, 10–18), additional production (9), arrangement (14), executive production
  • Simon Moullier – vibraphone (track 1)
  • Jordan Rose – drums (track 1)
  • Júnía Lín – violin (tracks 2, 3, 6), creative direction
  • Þorleifur Gaukur Davíðsson – slide guitar (track 5)
  • Philharmonia Orchestra – production, orchestra (tracks 7, 14)
  • Robin O'Neill – conductor (tracks 7, 14)
  • Iain Farrington – arrangement (track 7)
  • Dan Wilson – production (track 9)
  • Sara Mulford – recording (track 9)
  • Daniel Ficca – recording (track 9)
  • Carson Grant – drums (track 9)
  • Ted Case – piano (tracks 11, 16)
  • Jonathan Richards – bass (tracks 11, 17)
  • Ryan Shaw – drums (tracks 11, 17)
  • Hal Rosenfeld – orchestration (track 14)
  • Spencer Stewart – arrangement (track 14)
  • JJ Kirkpatrick – trumpet (track 16)
  • Kelly Ford – physical packaging design
  • Gemma Warren – artist photography

Charts

Certifications and sales

Certifications and sales for Bewitched
Region CertificationCertified units/sales
Iceland (FHF) — 3,009[61]
New Zealand (RMNZ)[62]
The Goddess Edition 		Gold 7,500‡
United Kingdom (BPI)[63] Gold 100,000‡
United States (RIAA)[64] Platinum 1,000,000‡

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Release history

Release history for Bewitched
Region Date Format(s) Edition Label Ref.
Various 8 September 2023 Standard AWAL [65]
27 October 2023 [66]
26 April 2024
  • Streaming
  • digital download
 The Goddess [67]
  • 2×LP
  • CD
  • cassette
 [68]
  • Streaming
  • digital download
 Instrumental [69]
Japan 3 July 2024 Blu-spec Live bonus SMEJ [70]

References

  1. 1 2 Bewitched: The Goddess Edition (Media notes). Laufey. AWAL. 8 September 2023.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  2. 1 2 3 Kim, Matthew (5 September 2023). "Laufey: Bewitched Review – refinement with purpose". The Line of Best Fit. Retrieved 8 September 2023.
  3. ↑ "Laufey - 'Bewitched' Review: A Captivating Debut From the Start". NME. Retrieved 8 June 2024.
  4. 1 2 Richards, Will (27 July 2023). "Laufey announces new album 'Bewitched' with title track". NME. Archived from the original on 16 December 2023. Retrieved 8 September 2023.
  5. 1 2 "All GRAMMY Awards and Nominations for Laufey". Recording Academy. Archived from the original on 10 July 2026. Retrieved 14 May 2024.
  6. ↑ "Tour Dates". Laufey Music. Archived from the original on 12 December 2023. Retrieved 13 May 2024.
  7. ↑ Kelly, Tyler (7 March 2024). "Laufey announces deluxe album, Bewitched: The Goddess Edition". The Line of Best Fit. Archived from the original on 8 March 2024. Retrieved 14 May 2024.
  8. ↑ "Ultratop.be – Laufey – Charts" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Archived from the original on 14 May 2024. Retrieved 14 May 2024.
  9. ↑ "Learn to play Bewitched". Laufey Music. Archived from the original on 12 November 2023. Retrieved 13 May 2024.
  10. 1 2 "Bewitched by Laufey Reviews and Tracks". Metacritic. Retrieved 3 October 2023.
  11. 1 2 Hickey, James (7 September 2023). "Laufey – Bewitched review". DIY. Retrieved 8 September 2023.
  12. 1 2 Mylrea, Hannah (7 September 2023). "Laufey – Bewitched review: spellbinding modern jazz with a pop twist". NME. Retrieved 8 September 2023.
  13. 1 2 Ramos, Alex (12 September 2023). "Laufey: Bewitched Album Review". Pitchfork. Retrieved 13 September 2023.
  14. 1 2 "Laufey – Bewitched". Uncut. October 2023. p. 29.
  15. ↑ Pascual, Danielle (6 December 2023). "The 50 Best Albums of 2023: Staff List". Billboard. Retrieved 5 April 2024.
  16. ↑ "The best albums of 2023". NME. 8 December 2023. Retrieved 10 December 2023.
  17. ↑ "These Are The Best Albums Of 2023". UPROXX. 4 December 2023. Retrieved 27 December 2023.
  18. ↑ Horowitz, Chris Willman, Jem Aswad, Thania Garcia, Steven J.; Willman, Chris; Aswad, Jem; Garcia, Thania; Horowitz, Steven J. (11 December 2023). "The Best Albums of 2023". Variety. Retrieved 18 January 2024.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  19. ↑ "The Best Albums of 2023". Vogue. 23 October 2023. Retrieved 18 January 2024.
  20. ↑ Caulfield, Keith (20 September 2023). "Laufey Logs Biggest Jazz Debut in Nearly Two Years With 'Bewitched'". Billboard. Retrieved 31 January 2024.
  21. ↑ https://www.musicbusinessworldwide.com/with-the-biggest-jazz-album-debut-in-spotify-history-awal-says-laufey-is-bringing-jazz-to-gen-z/#:~:text=Her%20new%20album%2C%20Bewitched%2C%20was,(just%20behind%20Olivia%20Rodrigo).
  22. ↑ https://www.clickrollboom.co.uk/news/laufeys-bewitched-the-goddess-edition-debuts-13-on-the-official-uk-charts-attends-met-gala-2024
  23. ↑ https://www.musicbusinessworldwide.com/after-dropping-the-biggest-jazz-album-debut-in-spotify-history-laufey-extends-global-deal-with-awal/
  24. ↑ https://www.riaa.com/gold-platinum/?tab_active=default-award&se=Laufey#search_section
  25. ↑ "Australian-charts.com – Laufey – Bewitched". Hung Medien. Archived from the original on 15 May 2024. Retrieved 6 May 2024.
  26. ↑ "ARIA Top 20 Jazz & Blues Albums: Week of 18 September 2023". Australian Recording Industry Association. Archived from the original on 2 October 2023. Retrieved 18 September 2023.
  27. ↑ "Ultratop.be – Laufey – Bewitched" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Archived from the original on 13 May 2024. Retrieved 4 May 2024.
  28. ↑ "Canadian Albums: Week of September 23, 2023". Billboard. Archived from the original on 8 October 2023. Retrieved 23 September 2023.
  29. ↑ "Lista prodaje 9. tjedan 2026" (in Croatian). Hrvatska Diskografska Udruga. Archived from the original on 10 May 2026. Retrieved 1 March 2026.
  30. ↑ "Dutchcharts.nl – Laufey – Bewitched" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Archived from the original on 13 May 2024. Retrieved 4 May 2024.
  31. ↑ "SNEP Top Albums Jazz: Semaine du 3 Mai 2024" (in French). Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique. Archived from the original on 9 May 2024. Retrieved 3 May 2024.
  32. ↑ "Offiziellecharts.de – Laufey – Bewitched" (in German). GfK Entertainment. Archived from the original on 9 May 2024. Retrieved 3 May 2024.
  33. ↑ "Tónlistinn – Plötur – Viku 45 – 2023" (in Icelandic). Plötutíðindi. Archived from the original on 11 November 2023. Retrieved 11 November 2023.
  34. ↑ "Tónlistinn – Plötur – Viku 18 – 2024" (in Icelandic). Plötutíðindi. Archived from the original on 4 May 2024. Retrieved 4 May 2024.
  35. ↑ "Irish-charts.com – Discography Laufey". Hung Medien. Archived from the original on 15 May 2024. Retrieved 3 May 2024.
  36. ↑ "Irish Independent Chart – Week 18 2024 – Week Ending 10 May 2024". Irish Recorded Music Association. Archived from the original on 3 May 2024. Retrieved 3 May 2024. Note: Select 3-May-24 on the date selector.
  37. ↑ "Charts.nz – Laufey – Bewitched". Hung Medien. Archived from the original on 15 May 2024. Retrieved 6 May 2024.
  38. ↑ "Portuguesecharts.com – Laufey – Bewitched". Hung Medien. Archived from the original on 13 May 2024. Retrieved 13 May 2024.
  39. ↑ "Bewitched by Laufey – Scottish Albums Chart". Official Charts Company. Archived from the original on 9 May 2024. Retrieved 9 May 2024.
  40. ↑ "Spanishcharts.com – Laufey – Bewitched". Hung Medien. Archived from the original on 13 May 2024. Retrieved 5 May 2024.
  41. ↑ "Veckolista Jazz: Vecka 37, 2023" (in Swedish). Sverigetopplistan. Archived from the original on 6 October 2025. Retrieved 15 September 2023.
  42. ↑ "Bewitched by Laufey – Albums Chart". Official Charts Company. Archived from the original on 9 May 2024. Retrieved 9 May 2024.
  43. ↑ "Bewitched by Laufey – Independent Albums Chart". Official Charts Company. Archived from the original on 9 May 2024. Retrieved 9 May 2024.
  44. ↑ "Bewitched by Laufey – Jazz & Blues Albums Chart". Official Charts Company. Archived from the original on 9 May 2024. Retrieved 9 November 2023.
  45. ↑ "Billboard 200: Week of May 11, 2024". Billboard. Archived from the original on 10 May 2024. Retrieved 11 May 2024.
  46. ↑ "Independent Albums: Week of May 11, 2024". Billboard. Archived from the original on 8 May 2024. Retrieved 11 May 2024.
  47. ↑ "Jazz Albums: Week of September 23, 2023". Billboard. Archived from the original on 2 November 2023. Retrieved 23 September 2023.
  48. ↑ "ARIA Top 50 Jazz & Blues Albums for 2023". Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved 31 December 2023.
  49. ↑ "Tónlistinn – Plötur – 2023" (in Icelandic). Plötutíðindi. Retrieved 31 December 2023.
  50. ↑ "Jazz Albums: 2023 Year-End Charts". Billboard. Retrieved 31 December 2023.
  51. ↑ "ARIA Top 50 Jazz & Blues Albums for 2024". Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved 31 December 2024.
  52. ↑ "Tónlistinn – Plötur – 2024" (in Icelandic). Plötutíðindi. Retrieved 31 December 2024.
  53. ↑ "Tónlistinn – Plötur – 2024" (in Icelandic). Plötutíðindi. Retrieved 31 December 2024.
  54. ↑ "Billboard 200 Albums: 2024 Year-End Charts". Billboard. Retrieved 31 December 2024.
  55. ↑ "Independent Albums: 2024 Year-End Charts". Billboard. Retrieved 31 December 2024.
  56. ↑ "Jazz Albums: 2024 Year-End Charts". Billboard. Retrieved 31 December 2024.
  57. ↑ "ARIA Top 50 Jazz & Blues Albums for 2025". Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved 31 December 2025.
  58. ↑ "Tónlistinn – Plötur – 2025" (in Icelandic). Plötutíðindi. Retrieved 31 December 2025.
  59. ↑ "Independent Albums: 2025 Year-End Charts". Billboard. Retrieved 31 December 2025.
  60. ↑ "Jazz Albums: 2025 Year-End Charts". Billboard. Retrieved 31 December 2025.
  61. ↑ Tónlistinn – Plötur (2023-2025)
  62. ↑ "New Zealand album certifications – Laufey – Bewitched: The Goddess Edition". Radioscope. Retrieved 6 February 2025. Type Bewitched: The Goddess Edition in the "Search:" field and press Enter.
  63. ↑ "British album certifications – Laufey – Bewitched". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 19 June 2026. Select albums in the Formats field. Type Bewitched Laufey in the "Search:" field.
  64. ↑ "American album certifications – Laufey – Bewitched". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved 13 August 2026.
  65. ↑ "'Bewitched' Laufey". Apple Music. Retrieved 8 September 2023.
  66. ↑ "'Bewitched' Laufey". Record Store Day. Retrieved 27 October 2023.
  67. ↑ "'Bewitched: The Goddess Edition' Laufey". Apple Music. Retrieved 26 April 2024.
  68. ↑ "'Bewitched: The Goddess Edition' Laufey". Record Store Day. Retrieved 26 April 2024.
  69. ↑ "'Bewitched: The Goddess Edition (Instrumentals)' Laufey". Apple Music. Retrieved 26 April 2024.
  70. ↑ "'ビーウィッチド：ザ・ゴッデス・エディション' Laufey" (in Japanese). Sony Music Entertainment Japan. Retrieved 3 July 2024.
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