Fresh off her Grammy win, Laufey reflected on honoring Mariah Carey with a bossa nova–infused rendition of “It’s Like That” at Friday night’s MusiCares Person of the Year gala.
Speaking with Variety in the Grammys press room after winning best traditional pop vocal album for “A Matter of Time,” the Icelandic singer was asked about reimagining the Carey classic — and why the song resonated so deeply with her own musical sensibilities.
“It’s such a great way to highlight just how amazing Mariah is — how amazing her songs are, and how they can live so many different lives,” Laufey told Variety. “To sing one of her songs in a style that felt more familiar to me was really cool. That song is a standard now.”
Mariah Carey at the 2026 MusiCares Person of the Year held at The Los Angeles Convention Center on January 30, 2026 in Los Angeles, California.
Michael Buckner/Billboard
During Laufey’s performance at the MusiCares gala, Carey could be seen smiling and mouthing along as the singer delivered a jazzy take on the “The Emancipation of Mimi” standout — a moment that quickly circulated online following the show.
“It really is the band,” Laufey said of the tribute performances, which also featured special renditions by Kesha, John Legend, Charlie Puth and Jennifer Hudson. “I got to come in and just sing and rehearse with them, which was really, really lovely. I thought what they did — finding ways to interpret Mariah’s songs in each artist’s own style — was a clever idea.”
The comments capped a celebratory weekend for Laufey, who previously won the Grammy in 2024 for “Bewitched” and continues to build a career rooted in classic pop and jazz traditions.
“It’s a bit of a North Star for me to introduce these more traditional styles of music to new audiences,” Laufey said onstage following her win. “Even just opening up ears to different chords and instrumentation that people may not be used to hearing in pop music today means a lot to me. It’s been a big surprise. I’ve tried to become the musician I felt I was missing as a little music student.”
Trevor Noah is hosting the Grammy Awards ceremony for the sixth and final time. The show airs live on CBS and streams on Paramount+ beginning at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT.
