How Elaine took over the world and signed to an international record label

Singer Elaine made major moves this year, and Mzansi had no choice but to stan.

The singer took over the world in August and left many in awe when she joined the same label as Beyoncé and Adele.

While Elaine independently released her seven-track EP, Elements, the SA-born songstress officially signed with Columbia Records in the US.

This was confirmed in a tweet posted by the record label and welcoming her with her latest video, Risky.

Elaine revealed she was over the moon about being signed to such a big record label.

She told TshisaLIVE she was looking forward to bringing her unique story to the world.

“I've got a completely different story to tell. I'm a representation of every African girl who doesn't want to be boxed in.”

MD of Sony Music Entertainment Africa Sean Watson described Elaine as “unquestionably deserving of the recognition she’s getting for her music”.

“It’s not chance that got her to where she is, it's talent and hard work. We love that about her and we can’t wait to work alongside her to help share her incredible music around the globe.”

Hailing Pretoria, Elaine became a household name when she released her EP mid-August. The project went platinum and made her the most-streamed female artist in SA.

The Wits law student also became the first independent female artist to reach the number one spot on the Apple Music sub-Saharan African charts.