Elaine Opens Up About Jumping Into Amapiano . Having spent some in Los Angeles and New York with her face plastered on billboards in Times Square – the singer has cemented her place in the industry. When we meet Elaine, she’s draped in a gold Orapeleng Modutle floor-length gown following an intimate show in Johannesburg. She’s accompanied by her mother, Lindie Mukheli, who is in a pastel-coloured puff sleeve dress amid swarming fans.
While has tried on amapiano songs, the star said she does not want to be boxed, and so she would continue trying on different genres. “I, first of all, love to think of myself as an artist, period. I hate to box myself. I think especially as Africans, as a South African, we are exposed to so much diversity, so many cultures, so many different people and I’ve just found growing and exploring the world that there’s so much more to me and my character and I’m sharing that with the world. I’m from Pretoria, I’m from South Africa so of course amapiano is like second nature and it doesn’t mean I’m leaving R&B, R&B will always be my first love but I definitely enjoy exploring, growing and collaboration as well,” she said.
“It’s a group effort and collaboration is really what’s going to get us to the world and right now I feel like I’m sort of standing alone in the R&B scene and my goal is to sort of integrate the music culture so we can take it internationally. There’s no such this as transitioning as well. As a global artist, if you look at all the huge artists, Drake has a house album, Beyonce has a dance album so I think we’re reaching a point in music where if you can, you should,” she added.
The star said she would like to collaborate with American star Beyoncé. “I would love to collaborate with so many artists, I think Beyonce is always at the top of my list, I absolutely love Drake, Lebo Mathosa is my biggest inspiration and if she was alive that would be my goal, [and] Brenda Fassie. I love our South African artists, I think South African artists are doing amazing right now. Blxckie is one of my favourites – love me some Blxckie – he’s so talented and so versatile, another artist that does hip hop, that does R&B, that does amapiano, that does trap and that is the direction we’re headed. He’s great.”
