Though she’s only started seriously working the music business about two
years prior, Elliphant is gaining traction. She did release a Swedish album
back in 2013 titled A Good Idea, but it unfortunately did not gain much
attention. “2014, 2015 has been the most intense period of my life. It’s
been going from just experimenting with this music thing to actually
feeling like you’re getting close to those ten thousand hours.” And you
know what they say, to master a craft you’ve got to put those ten thousand
hours; Elliphant is a firm believer. “I’m probably around six thousand
hours now, but at least I’m starting to feel like I’ve got control over what
I’m doing.”
Music aficionados are going to have a difficult time pinpointing Elliphant’s actual musical style, because she lends herself so well to many genres.
She’s got tinges of dancehall and reggae vibes in her vocal delivery, and
she has a handful for hard-hitting electronic bangers. There’s also hints
of R&B and punk, all wrapped in pop sensibilities. Perhaps it’s because
Elliphant tries her hardest to work with the best collaborators she can,
while still straying away from a boxed genre. The most notable work she’s
done is her music with electronic and dance producer Diplo. “Diplo is a
funny guy. He’s a little bit like a [superhero], I feel. Through him, a lot of
producers got interested to do work with me - he’s been a very good A&R
for my project!”
One interesting detail about Elliphant’s music is the strong presence of a
vague Jamaican patois accent, and her penchant for raps. Her vocal style
could be considered similar to English music artist M.I.A., but with a
much punkier, aggressive edge to it. But, she would never consider herself
a contributor in the hip-hop space. “In one sense, I would never claim rap
or hip-hop. I never grew up [with] hip-hop, I don’t know much about it.
[My music] is more girls in the schoolyard.” According to her, she doesn’t
look at her music as hip-hop, but the process is similar - lyric writing,
rhyming and the like. Much like a rapper, Elliphant’s be all-end all are
words - a message is a powerful thing, and for many, that is what hip-hop
is all about. Though she might not claim the genre, she at the very least
understands its crucial element.
With her wide variety of styles and influences, it’s not surprise that Elliphant strongly advocates for evolution. “Changeability, I really want to stand
up for that, as an artist,” she explains. “The world lives under this idea
that you need o choose what we are, it’s a lot of pressure!” According to
her, there was a long period in Olovsdotter’s life where she was destructive and very angry, but change was the godsend that she needed. She says
that the only thing that is 100% in this life is change - it’s something we
all can guarantee. And when it comes to her music, she wants change to
be at the forefront of her mind. Elliphant will continue to evolve, whether
anybody likes it or not. “I’m not ready to be anything in music yet, I don’t
want to [have] a genre, I want this freedom.”
It’s a long road for Elliphant and her career - 2016 sees her touring much
more, as well as the release of her debut album on March 2016, titled
Living Life Golden. And judging by all the experiences she’s gone through
within the last two years of her music project, she’s abiding by her album
title. She mentions there will be a lot of wonder on the album, naive
lyrical content and whatnot, but still with her trademark attitude. But,
Olovsdotter maintains her humility, as best as she can, despite the success.
“I never looked at myself as a musician, I just got a very interesting opportunity. I haven’t really decided what to do with this music opportunity, I
just want to have fun with it.”
Along with that fun comes inspiration. When asked about what she wants
people to take away from her music, Elliphant mentions a holy trinity - process, inspiration, hope. She doesn’t expect a Grammy, she doesn’t
expect people to shed tears listening to her album (unlike Adele and her
discography). But she would like to people to understand that anybody
can do what she does, as long as they’re putting in 100% in the process
and work. “I want people to [know] that this isn’t perfect, but I actually
like it and respect this person.”
“The world lives under
this idea that you need
to choose what we are,
it’s a lot of pressure!”