Laufey and Beabdoobee’s new song, “A Night to Remember,” joins the ranks of unexpected collaborations the world didn’t know it needed. Each singer is strongly established in distinct musical niches; through their slight departure from these sounds, however, listeners are given the best of both worlds within the recent single.
Over the periodic glissando of strings, layered with a soft bossa nova beat, Laufey and Beabadoobee illustrate a sultry, enchanted evening spent with a mysterious stranger. The catchy, simplistic melody delivers a memorable chorus, accompanied by a warm acoustic guitar sound, almost reminiscent of a night in a faraway European city.
Beabadoobee and Laufey’s crossover is especially unique because each represents a newfound interest in the younger generation of music listeners, in each of the artists’ respective genres.
With the release of her past albums like “Typical of Me” or “Everything I Know About Love,” as well as her newest, “Bewitched,” Laufey’s style aims to bring back fusions of jazz-pop and classical jazz. Song after song, younger listeners are slowly returned to the genre of their grandparents’ generation.
On the other hand, Beabadoobee specializes in bedroom pop and alternative rock, meshed with themes of Britpop — a style that has also caught the attention of Gen-Z, although in an entirely different lane. The seemingly aged sounds of the 1990s have also returned in trendy fashion through Beabadoobee’s eccentric tone in pieces like “Cologne” or “She Plays Bass.” Beabadoobee’s signature combination of dissonant electric guitar and off-beat drums reminds listeners of sounds like Elliott Smith or Mazzy Star.
The song is well-complemented by Beabadoobee’s distinctive, soft voice, in contrast to Laufey’s deep vocal range. Beabadoobee diversifies the song with a sensual atmosphere, taking Laufey out of her usual themes of Disney-like romance.
The instrumentals themselves remain in Laufey’s depth of musicality, with traditional jazz-pop influences (example: “From the Start”). However, she substitutes much of her trademark hopelessly lovesick lyrics with a novel feel of tension, showing fans a side of her that hadn’t previously been explored.
While the two singers’ genres seem to clash in obvious ways, the unforeseen nature of their mixture gives listeners a quintessential taste of either brand, presenting the perfect fall anthem.
