South African R&B singer and songwriter Elaine is kicking off her next era of music with her moody new single “Right Now.” The beautifully shot music video, directed by Nape Phasha, shows Elaine living her best life and putting herself and her music first after being frustrated with her lover. The song was featured on Zane Lowe’s Apple Music radio show New Music Daily alongside a FaceTime interview Zane today.
“This song is exactly what it means and feels like to welcome growth, celebrate being a confident woman and find comfort in independence,” says Elaine. When making this song, I remember walking up to the mic with a lot of things I was carrying in my heart but had trouble communicating and relaying to others. After I recorded it, things changed for me. The concept of Love transformed from being a good lover to someone, to being a good lover to myself too.”
“Right Now” marks her first new song released since 2019’s history-making EP Elements. The 7-song collection blends mellow yet sweet R&B melodies with hints of trap-inspired moodiness. With Elements, which was certified Platinum in South Africa, Elaine became the first independent female artist to ever reach #1 on the Apple Music Sub-Saharan African charts.
Already a household name as the most-streamed female artist in her home country, Elaine is ready to make her mark in the US. In case you missed it, check out this special intro video piece on Elaine.
ABOUT ELAINE
Now 22 years old, Elaine was born in Pretoria and began singing in the pre-school choir, immediately earning a love for the stage. From that point, Elaine partook in multiple talent show competitions both as a soloist and part of the choir, even winning a gold medal at 2014’s 8th World Choir Games in Riga, Latvia. While studying in law school in 2019, Elaine had the urge to create her first project that later shaped into her debut EP Elements.
She had an amazing start with her breakout single “You’re The One,” which has over 6 million video views to date and hit #1 on Apple Music South Africa charts upon release. The EP follows a journey through love, heartbreak and renewal, and ended up making history for Elaine, making her the first female independent artist to reach No. 1 on the Apple Music Sub-Saharan African charts. As a nominee for MTV Africa’s Music Awards for Breakthrough Act, Elaine is truly a star awaiting her takeover across the sea. Elaine just finished her law degree at Johannesburg’s University of the Witwatersrand and is working on a slew of new releases including her major-label debut album.
