Grammy-winning Icelandic-Chinese singer Laufey 'hopes to tour China soon'

Grammy Award winner Laufey says that China is an important place for her and she'll definitely be back there soon to perform. 

In a video message to her Chinese fans exclusively delivered to CGTN Europe in Mandarin, she said "I'm so excited to come to China for a tour and perform for you. Love you!" 

Born in Iceland's capital Reykjavik to an Icelandic father and Chinese mother, Laufey has spoken about the influence that her Chinese side of the family had in inspiring her love of classical music. Her mother is a classical violinist and her grandparents were both professors at the Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing. 

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Last year, she played with the China Philharmonic Orchestra at the Beijing Music Festival and says it was a special experience.

"I went to Beijing every single summer growing up and it was just such an amazing experience," she told CGTN Europe. "A lot of students of my grandfather were in the orchestra - and students of students of my grandfather as well. To get to play with them felt like a full-circle moment. 

"My grandfather passed 15 years ago and my grandmother was in the audience. And for her to see that, it was just one of those crazy full-circle moments that is so rare. And I'll never forget it. I'm so honored that the Beijing Music Festival invited me to do that. It's something I'll never forget. I love playing in China, I love my Chinese fans, and I'll definitely be making my rounds back there." 

Laufey won Best Traditional Album at this year's Grammy awards for her second album Bewitched, something she says feels amazing. 

"It's so validating," she says. "I've been saying it's one of those things that as a child seems really impossible. It's up there with going to the moon or becoming a princess - it's like that level of crazy, it's really special, especially in the category that I won in. All of my heroes have won that Grammy. And to get to be honored there is just especially cool."

Laufey has millions of followers on social media and last week released her latest single Goddess, a song she says is her most honest yet. Described as bringing jazz music to Gen Z, she credits her success in bringing that genre to a younger audience to "being relatable and writing about [her] experience as a 24-year-old in this day and age."