A picture is worth a thousand words… but a song is worth a thousand pictures.
Ever since I was young, music has always had a profound influence in my life. There’s not a minute at home when I’m not listening to, composing or arranging music. When I hear a song, I don’t just hear the notes or the chords. I hear the history, the culture and the feelings that went into it. I listen out for the harmonisation, the instrumentation, the lyricism, the emotion. This is why jazz music for me has had such a lasting impact throughout my childhood. Much controversy has been raised as to whether or not Icelandic Chinese singer and songwriter Laufey Lín Jónsdóttir truly is a jazz musician but I think that this debate is part of what makes her music (more specifically ‘Like the Movies’) such a masterpiece.
The systemic nature of jazz music originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans in the early 1920s. It’s closely derived from blues music which African American slaves would have sung in the field as they were forced into picking cotton. High energy, up-beat music was used to improve morale during the war era and it soon became incredibly popular all throughout the United States.
The popularity of jazz music has significantly declined in recent years and with the rise of highly electronic and digitally produced pop music dominating the industry, it’s dying out. For me, jazz has something that pop music never will. It’s not just the history of it, it’s the intricate articulation, the improvisation, syncopation or laid-back swung rhythms. The sheer power and atmosphere that’s only now seen in jazz lounges - the likes of which all have age restrictions of ‘18 and older’. With little prominence in media, if jazz music isn’t being introduced to aspiring musicians still in school then no wonder it’s dying. But how does this have anything to do with ‘Like the Movies’ by Laufey?
‘Like the Movies’ by Laufey is one of my favourite songs - so much so, that I would truly consider it a ‘masterpiece’. I could go on forever about her use of 7th and 13th chords, and harmonisation but what fascinates me most about this piece is how its jazz… but not quite jazz. Where jazz music is often perceived as this ‘old-timely, retro, ancient’ style of music that just isn’t around anymore, Laufey takes it to the other extreme. Her target audience is, in fact, teenagers around the world!
What makes pop more favoured than jazz? Well, modern pop is often written about topics that teenagers could relate to. It’s actually for this reason that Laufey write her own ‘jazz’ songs. To engage a younger audience, allowing for them to relate to the music, whilst also encompassing key features of jazz music. Pop is showcased on Instagram, Spotify, TikTok, everywhere! It’s almost impossible to miss a songs release with the presence of pop artists on social media in today’s digital age. This is why Laufey releases her music in the exact same way. Whether is be speeding up or slowing and reberving her music to release as ‘TikTok audios’ so others can use it in the background of other videos. I think that her distinct separation from the jazz culture whilst still incorporating jazz features is what makes her so unique. Another key difference is pop music is written and sung by much younger people! Where a jazz lounge is usually musicians in their 30s or 40s, pop artists like Billie Eilish rose to fame at the age of 15! Dixie D’Amelio - not that I, myself, would class her as a musician - was 19 when she released ‘Be Happy’.
That’s all still rather general though… why specifically this song? The lyrical depth of this piece truly warms my heart in a wistful yet hopeful way. The dream-like narrative begins with Laufey singing “maybe one day, I will fall in a bookstore”. Both the first and second verse continue this wishful narrative or Laufey finding the ‘perfect guy’ and her aspirations for the life she wants to live. The line “maybe I’m just old fashioned” really resonated for me because of my deep-rooted anemoia (”a nostalgic sense of longing for a past that you, yourself, have never lived”). I think that the idea of everything in movies seeming perfect but in reality struggling to find someone “good enough” would resonate with a young audience trying to find love.
The swung rhythm and use of trumpets highlight the jazz infused within the piece. My favourite part of the entire song would have to be the scat singing after the first chorus. Scat singing is a style of “vocal improvisation with wordless vocables, nonsense syllables or without words at all” and it’s clear that Laufey is influenced by jazz musicians like Chet Baker in this way. Though it’s not in all jazz songs, if it’s there: it’s nearly always jazz. Upon performing this in concert, she had around 3,000 teenagers screaming along to a jazz standard… there are only a handful of jazz musicians who will ever be able to say they’ve experienced that!
The tempo and rhythm of the song are also well-crafted. It's not hurried; instead, it flows like a gentle river, inviting listeners to immerse themselves in the story being told. The melody is catchy but not overly so, and it lingers in your mind long after you've finished listening. This balance in musical composition is what makes the song accessible and captivating. It’s slow enough to help the audience relax and yet the drums still push the tempo.
Music is, at its core, an emotional medium. "Like the Movies" by Laufey has a remarkable ability to evoke deep emotions and resonate with personal experiences. The song taps into the universal human desire for a life that mirrors the grandeur and drama of the movies. This desire, which often remains unspoken, is brought to the forefront by the song's emotional resonance.
The song's emotional resonance goes beyond personal experiences; it transcends into a shared human experience. The feelings of longing, yearning, and the desire for a life that feels cinematic are emotions that many people have felt at one point or another. Laufey's ability to capture and convey these emotions is what makes "Like the Movies" a masterpiece.
In terms of comparisons, Laufey's music shares similarities with artists like Norah Jones, with its jazzy, folk-pop fusion. Her storytelling and lyrical style also draw comparisons to songwriters like Joni Mitchell. However, Laufey has a unique and distinctive voice that sets her apart, making her music all the more captivating.
In conclusion, "Like the Movies" by Laufey is, without a doubt, my idea of a masterpiece. Its lyrical depth, musical composition, and emotional extensiveness combine to create a song that touches the very essence of what it means to be human. The lyrics tell a story of longing and aspiration, the music is a beautifully crafted accompaniment of stereotypical jazz instruments and harmonisation. "Like the Movies" is not just a song; it's a work of art that connects us with our deepest emotions and the natural universal human longness to love and to be loved.
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