S7 EP5: Laufey discusses viral fame, partying with Bill Murray and the benefits of boredom

The Louis Theroux Podcast

Spotify Studios

Comedy, Arts, Society & Culture

4.1 • 1.4K Ratings

🗓️ 30 March 2026

⏱️ 82 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Louis sits down with Laufey, Grammy-award winning Icelandic singer and songwriter. Laufey tells Louis about her stratospheric rise to fame on TikTok, partying with Bill Murray, and why everyone can benefit from being a bit bored. Brace yourself for major music geekery. Warnings: Strong language and adult themes. Links/Attachments: Album: A Matter of Time, Laufey (2025) https://open.spotify.com/album/5rMOCuiWWbEBcHaKM69Hmv Whiplash (2014) https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2582802/ “The Great American Songbook” https://thesongbook.org/about/what-is-the-songbook/ Singing in the Rain (1952) https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0045152/ An American in Paris (1951) https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0043278/ On the Town (1949) https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0041716/ Ziegfeld Follies (1945) https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0039116/ The Sound of Music (1965) https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0059742/ Mary Poppins (1964) https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0058331/ Shirley Temple (1928 – 2014) https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000073/ Song: ‘One Note Samba’, Antônio Carlos Jobim (1960) https://open.spotify.com/track/1UJQJz6ZP0qKGU55fRDcyI?si=ef59b3251c18423d Album: Getz/Gilberto, Stan Getz and João Gilberto (1964) https://open.spotify.com/album/73ZRKdD3Ds43IjHrhKgucY?si=a1Fe3WkdS7eFZpoH9IYufA Album: Chet Baker Sings: It Could Happen to You (1958) https://open.spotify.com/album/5CNRrD9O1kCaBvN1RyHRdt?si=gK_1vEjQQAmSBs3RWeOAKw Let’s Get Lost (1988) https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0095515/ Song: ‘From The Start’, Laufey (2023) https://open.spotify.com/track/43iIQbw5hx986dUEZbr3eN?si=4f08726cd6fc4307 Song: ‘It Could Happen to You’, Chet Baker (1958) https://open.spotify.com/track/5J8ahRMQ9Y1lRcuAhpP5Fy?si=b55e1844542c44fb Song: ‘James’, Laufey (2021) https://open.spotify.com/track/2y1NtQ2ZfIq0zBUP3tOlbX?si=15ac3bbfa0c74cf7 Song: ‘Mr. Eclectic’, Laufey (2025) https://open.spotify.com/track/5n934Lu8pAsAHLc155qzck?si=f9ed9e496ee847d7 Song: ‘Goddess’, Laufey (2024) https://open.spotify.com/track/2SEeyc2KS9DIjiJPCYtfgJ?si=a740ddd0858249d6 Song: ‘Creep’, Radiohead (1993) https://open.spotify.com/track/70LcF31zb1H0PyJoS1Sx1r?si=ddeef2a9f1e34bdf Song: ‘Letter To My 13 Year Old Self’, Laufey (2023) https://open.spotify.com/track/59Y1f3y8FuLjadWY9Bx2LC?si=2a76c204cb644895 Song: ‘How Soon Is Now?’, The Smiths (1984) https://open.spotify.com/track/1YrnDTqvcnUKxAIeXyaEmU?si=05763f85a40041c3 Album: Ella Fitzgerald Sings The Rodgers And Hart Song Book, Ella Fitzgerald (1956) https://open.spotify.com/album/3DXgUbJhOxidQC3l0tegY9?si=_42fBZG1SZ2WrNwYoL88VA Song: ‘Miss Otis Regrets’, Ella Fitzgerald (1956) https://open.spotify.com/track/5dvh4M2Lo0aEXp5D0IJGH1?si=fd41d6fba27748df ‘Santa Baby’, Laufey Music Video feat. Bill Murray https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6_SsGMeJIHk Song: ‘Too Little, Too Late’, Laufey (2025) https://open.spotify.com/track/1qJnr4Bm7OAauklV18Vdah?si=6fc52bba5b5f48f5 Song: ‘Hallelujah’, Leonard Cohen (1984) https://open.spotify.com/track/6s1mt6e0n8G7jcNhcxXKzq?si=400cab129f6d4083 Ballet: Giselle, Royal Ballet & Opera (2026) https://www.rbo.org.uk/tickets-and-events/giselle-marius-petipa-details Book: ‘How to Be an Artist’, Jerry Saltz (2020) https://www.waterstones.com/book/how-to-be-an-artist/jerry-saltz/9781781577820 Credits: Producer: Millie Chu  Assistant Producer: Maan al-Yasiri Production Manager: Francesca Bassett  Music: Miguel D’Oliveira  Audio Mixer: Tom Guest Video Mixer: Scott Edwards Shownotes compiled by Elly Young Executive Producer: Arron Fellows     A Mindhouse Studios Production for Spotify  www.mindhouse.co.uk Open a Moneybox Cash ISA at https://moneybox.onelink.me/Cqlx/y3xncge Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0	Hello there and welcome to the podcast we like to call the Louis Theroux podcast.
0:13.6	For this episode, I'm joined by Grammy Award winning singer singer, songwriter and Gen Z megastar Leve.
0:24.6	On my teleprompter, it says Loughy, which is how it's spelled.
0:28.7	But it's not pronounced like that.
0:30.7	She's Icelandic.
0:31.9	If you're not at all online, even if you don't know who she is, you've probably heard her songs.
0:37.1	From the start is the big one.
0:38.8	It's a Bossa Nova track. But there are many others. Her music blends Bossa Nova, classical jazz and pop,
0:44.9	combining a timeless sound with modern lyrics about love and heartbreak. We go into the origins of this
0:50.3	intriguing cocktail of influences in the conversation. And in case you're wondering, what's Bossa Nova?
0:56.5	You'd recognise it if you heard it.
0:57.7	Girl from Eponema is the most famous.
0:59.5	I'm not going to sing it.
1:00.5	There's rights issues, but it kind of goes,
1:04.4	it doesn't go like that.
1:06.5	I didn't get it.
1:08.6	I can't do it without a melody.
1:11.6	I can't drum.
1:12.6	Did that help?
1:14.6	Now you know what Bosanova is.
1:16.6	Renowned Brazilian genre, it says, that emerged from Rio in the late 50s.
1:21.6	This is more like it, which blends traditional samba rhythms with jazz harmonies.
	...

Please login to see the full transcript.

Previous episode | Next episode

Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from Spotify Studios, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.

Generated transcripts are the property of Spotify Studios and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.