Music has always been a part of Elaine's life from a young age. At the tender age of 6, growing up in Pretoria, South Africa, she started singing and performing in a choir throughout her childhood. In addition to participating in choirs, she performed in talent shows and was entrenched in exploring her musical talent and expanding her skills. However, it was not until she reached high school that her musical journey began; at the age of 18, she started making music herself alongside Clxrity (one of the producers she worked with on her debut EP Elements) who attended the same high school as her where they would go into empty classrooms after school and would make tracks without really taking seriously.
Having only started making music towards the end of her high school experience, the process of creating her debut EP Elements happened at the age of 19 whilst attending Wits University in Johannesburg as a law student. "I made the EP while still a student, making music part-time after classes. I had no budget, only two producers, and no resources. It was a project born out of pure passion and determination." She says the project came together between lectures, where she would travel and meet up with the two producers, Elizeé and Clxrity. Once it was complete, the three met at a McDonald's, where they uploaded the EP to a distribution site. The rest, as they say, is history. "It was honestly just God working through me, and I did not realise it would materialise into what I'd been dreaming about". That decision resulted in The EP reaching No.1 on both the iTunes and Apple Music album charts, making her the first independent female artist to do so. She was certified Platinum by RISA, gained a nomination for Best R&B/Soul Album at the 26th South African Music Awards, and became the most streamed female artist in South Africa on both Apple Music & Spotify in 2020.
Now, 5 years after the fact, as part of her first trip to the UK and coming off the back of her debut album, Stone Cold Heart. We meet in November on a cold, grey, particularly windy day, typical of London, where we undergo a 6-hour shoot in the essence of Elaine's R&B influences and feminity. Following the shoot, we sit down and discuss everything that has transpired following that time period, bringing her to this point in her life.
Stone Cold Heart takes a different tone from Elements. Although still rooted in that rawness, vulnerability, and authenticity that was very much present in her first body of work, this body of work has a maturity and growth that you can see even in the way in which she sings across the album and how it plays across the 14-track album. The difference, she recognises. "I felt I had to fight to make this album. I constantly had to fight to be heard, fighting to put the project out. Fighting for my creativity to take the lead". Having entered the industry at a time that came at the heels of a global pandemic, her entrance caught global attention, as she signed a record deal with Columbia Records, for which she was the first African artist they had signed. For much of the time she was with the label, it was the peak of COVID-19, which therefore brought on several limitations as to what was possible and the expectations of what that experience would be.
These experiences, however, were captured during the album's creation and shaped the lyricism across the project. Throughout the project, Elaine effortlessly delivers the themes of self-empowerment, heartbreak, infidelity, romance, and emotional and powerful storytelling. The era of Stone-Cold Heart feels like one of resilience and empowerment that flows through, with everything in its representation, from the album artwork to the various visual elements and everything in between.
Shaping and crafting the album with the people she was able to collaborate with is another way in which the album was able to stretch her creativity and expand the sonic landscapes you hear across the album—going beyond her two previous collaborators. She worked with artist Fridayy, who co-wrote 'Deja VU', a single she released before the album. As well as Beyonce & Tems collaborator GuiltyBeatz also contributed to the album with Candenza who worked on 'Know each other'. Not to mention her previous collaborator, Elizeé, who co-produced 'Broken Hearted, ' the first single of the album, which Pheel Keys and Zeke produced, how she was able to open herself not just lyrically but also sonically with her choice of collaborators is something that served her well in bringing a variety in the album whilst also maintaining a cohesiveness that flows throughout the project. Various musical inspirations that have touched her music have translated into this album and bring something different to what one might have expected from her. "My inspirations include Drake, Rihanna, Beyoncé, Tems (which makes me very excited about opening for her in South Africa on March 20th and meeting her), Wizkid, Jorja Smith, Raye, Mahalia, and Sasha Keable."
There is a carefree nature as well as an openness that she has embodied as she moves in this current chapter of her artistic career: "It's so exciting because, for the first time in a very long time, I don't know what's about to come, but I'm excited to find out. I'm going to new places. I'm working with new people and experiencing new things." She says with a lightness. Releasing the album independently allowed her to regain some control she had let go of in the earlier part of her career, not to mention the vast, endless possibilities that exist for her as somebody somewhat reintroducing herself as an artist in the way that has evolved and grown from what people may have seen her in.
As a South African artist who has been able to make music beyond the expectations of it being pigeonholed to Amapiano or Afrobeats, she also could showcase and show different types of musical genres that exist. "For the first time in a long time, it feels like I'm moving into many different universes. I'm enjoying the current universe because I feel free, safe, and appreciated more than anything. I'm happy and haven't felt happy in a while." She tells me about the current space in her career. Not only is she stepping into herself musically but creatively, she is also navigating the landscape of being a business and embracing what it means to be an independent woman in today's music landscape.
Getting this point in the context of the album is why you feel richness and openness when you listen to speak about where she is at this point in her life. The recognition of being in a different space she was when making the album, which she recognises as a low point in her life. Speaking of this, the album's title also holds weight in the meaning of the album and how it encapsulates that stage of her life. "The title Stone Cold Heart came after going through a lengthy period of finding myself and rediscovering myself and, to simply put it, just going through a lot of heartbreak." She shares it's also more about protecting one's self and heart in the very thin line between being a people person and a people pleaser.
She has experienced this in being a part of a space where overextending yourself and being too nice of a person can get you into uncomfortable situations, and you end up compromising yourself at the expense of other people. This feeling is something that many have experienced and can relate to. "It's always something that I've always struggled with compromising myself to make other people comfortable. When that had to change, and when I felt like it had gotten to a point where I was just constantly losing, and it was just a constant losing game, it made me feel like I needed to have a stone-cold heart and to be very clear like, please don't mess with me." How she can articulate this speaks to her experience of entering the industry at 19 with a lack of knowledge of the industry and having to navigate first-hand how one handles themselves and learning from the experience of dealing with other people what works and what doesn't. Not to mention getting to grips with the other aspects of the industry that extend beyond just music and how one can get that understanding.
Even when dealing with the realities of being a new artist and how she has navigated the personal and professional changes that have come with it, one thing is always at the centre: music, which goes beyond just something she does well and enjoys doing. "Music is my safe space. I would rather not say anything to a single soul, but I'll say what I need when I get to the studio. I'll cuss, I'll scream, I'll shout, I'll cry, I'll do whatever I want to do because, generally, that's the only place where I feel valid." Recognising this is something she wants to work on outside of just music, being able to do so in real life, and being comfortable expressing her feelings outside of music. This expression has always been able to hold on to the safety that it provides her. "This is the one thing that I can do without questioning myself. When I'm making music, I never question myself; all I do is motivate myself, and I like the challenge of making music. It doesn't make me feel like my value is tied to something tangible; it makes me feel like my value is my gift, and I value my gift.
A couple of days before the shoot, various creatives and fans gathered to celebrate Elaine's first trip to London hosted by Nando's UK in celebration of her album launch. Present at said dinner, she navigated her way amongst the attendees, taking time to speak with everybody in a way that felt the warmth and familiarity of being amongst you feel safe and comfortable around. It was another example of the energy she exuded from navigating the changes that have taken place over the last five years. Exchanging food recommendations, gripes about the coldness of the UK weather, and speaking about food preferences back in South Africa compared to LA. The whole night and exchanges set the tone throughout the shoot and our conversation, which felt less like an interview and just two people having casual chats. This she shares with me is a stark difference between how she felt in the early days of her career and how she felt navigating that change when she first entered the public space. "I struggled so much with imposter syndrome before. I didn't want to post; I didn't want to talk about anything. There was a point where I wasn't even taking bookings; I didn't want to be seen. I was so shy." This is something that has shifted even in the way in which she is embracing and taking the reigns on her career and her creativity, with how she creates and how she can express herself without any boundaries and trusting her voice and her vision in being able to execute and say the things she wants to say.
Before we depart for the day, there is one aspect we have to touch on, and that is the visuals. For this project, Elaine underwent a 3-day shoot in which she shot 11 videos of the 14 project tracks. This was imperative in bringing the visual story of Stone Cold Heart to life. Undertaking this as an independent artist was quite the task, but for her creative eye and her ideas, she felt it was necessary to enchase the album's experience. "I wanted people to experience the project visually and see my creative ideas. I sat down and made a mood board for every song; I had the styling for every song. I worked with Thobeka Mbane and presented all the ideas I had for styling. I knew what I wanted each look to look like, and if she couldn't find them, we made them. If we didn't make them, we flew them in, and it was such an intimate but very technical process." She explained the entire pre-production, which happened over 3 months, with her gathering and finding the people working with her on the undertaking as well as shooting the videos, which sounds like an intense 2-day filming process as the first was used as a rehearsal day, from having various setups to the different looks and sets to a limited time frame and resources.
Each visual of the album carries a different energy. As you take in each video with the track, the inspiration for each one differs in what she was trying to capture and the energy she wanted to embody. She was very intentional in how she wanted to live the song and mirror those feelings and energy visually. "My favourite visual from this album is 'Love Me Slowly.' I loved the styling and set design—it's my favourite song on the album. The inspiration behind it was very R&B, very Rihanna—unapologetic. I was focused on finding the right references to curate the perfect set design and step into my femininity." The execution of this matched her intention for the song, which also infuses a darker tone with an edgier feel to the rest of the album.
The process of creating the visuals has been documented and released in the form of a BTS documentary that shows how the results for her are more than just about the finished visuals and represents a more significant accomplishment in being able to carry through and see the vision through. "The whole process motivated me to be like, maybe the people don't see the vision, and maybe people don't know what I'm capable of, but I don't mind having to prove myself. But I'm not proving myself to people; I'm proving it to myself." She says with pride in the fact she did it and the belief that she has in knowing she could do it, and she did.
The more significant undertaking of this Stone Cold Heart era is taking this beyond herself as an artist and the representation of what it means for South African music and expanding that beyond the continent. As somebody whose music speaks to a global genre, she is tapping into that and does not want to limit herself in any way. "I love my fan base in South Africa, but I see R&B as a genre that isn't confined to one space—it naturally blends into so many sounds, from Afrobeats and Amapiano to Hip-Hop, Electronic music, and even Pop. R&B already inspires and influences these genres, and I want to explore those intersections while staying true to my roots." You can already understand how she plans to do this as you take in the album. Already thinking beyond what one might have in mind when you think of an R&B artist (specifically one in South Africa), she has already expanded the expectations and limitations one might have put on her.
With plans for international expansion well underway, Elaine has no intention of slowing down—she’s only just getting started. “My vision is to take my sound to international stages, tap into new markets, and eventually headline my own tour. More than anything, I want to reshape the narrative of African artists globally, proving that we can thrive across genres and be a driving force in the international music scene.” As she embarks on this journey, her time in London marks just the beginning of many more trips to come. Beyond music, she is determined to showcase her creative versatility and establish herself as a force to be reckoned with. “Life is so short, so I’m excited to live it to the fullest with no boundaries or chains.” With her undeniable talent and relentless drive, there is no doubt that Elaine’s rise will continue to thrive.
CREDITS:
Photographer - Jessica Ross @jessicaelizaross
Creative Director - TJ Sawyer @tj.saw1
Producer - Seneo Mwamba @seneomwamba
Co Director - Zekaria Al-Bostani - @zek.snaps
Creative Assistant - Whitney sanni @its.whit_
MUA - Hawa Abdallah @facesbyhawa
Stylist - Jennifer Eleto @jenelectro
Stylist Assistant - Mandizole Gushu @mandizolegushu
Co-director for 3rd look - Jackie Jjacqz @byjjacqz
Movement Director - Cherise Hewitt @dripeisha__
Gaffer and Spark - Bruno Nnadi @risquesociety & Yared Haileselassie
Design - @deeds.studio @dianeadanna
BTS - Jackie Jjacqz @byjjacqz
Writer - Seneo Mwamba @seneomwamba
Additional Styling - @its.whit_ Coat for Third look @jede.designs
