Her early influences include Björk, PJ Harvey, Tori Amos, Aretha Franklin and Ella Fitzgerald,[6] and she has credited Rudyard Kipling and Jim Morrison of The Doors as lyrical inspirators.

The album soon went quadruple platinum in Italy and won her two prizes: Targa Tenco and PIM (Premio Italiano della Musica).

In 1998, the re-release of Pipes and Flowers included a new track, Cure Me, recorded in Venice with British producer Darren Allison (Spiritualized, Belle and Sebastian).

The album took a new turn in terms of musical influences and featured songs produced by Howie B, Roberto Vernetti, Mauro Malavasi and Leo Z.

The song was performed at the 2001 Sanremo Festival supported by the Solis String Quartet, and won her the Critics' Award, Interpreter of the Year as well as the competition altogether.

The single received high rotation on MTV Europe as well as fair airplay and moderate attention in several European countries, but still failed to establish Elisa as an international artist.

The album was followed by an extensive acoustic Italian tour as well as a double DVD set consisting of an MTV Supersonic concert and The making of Lotus.

One of the songs, Life Goes On, was later translated to Italian (Una poesia anche per te) and became the fourth best-selling single in Italy in 2005.

In the summer of 2005, Elisa appeared at the Live 8 concert in Rome alongside Zucchero, Luciano Ligabue and other major Italian artists.

On 30 November 2010, Elisa released Ivy, an album in the same vein as Lotus, featuring three new tracks, acoustic versions of her past songs and covers such as "1979" by the Smashing Pumpkins.

In the same year Elisa collaborated with music producer / musician Gaudi for the track "Brainwashed Again", included on his album "No Prisoners".

[9] On 18 December 2012, her collaboration with Ennio Morricone, "Ancora qui", was featured in Quentin Tarantino's film, Django Unchained and on its soundtrack album.

[10] Elisa was featured on a special version of "We Are Incurable Romantics" by Belgian singer Ozark Henry, which was released in the Italian iTunes store on 15 July 2014.

[11] In 2015, Elisa was the coach and artistic director of the blue team in the talent show Amici di Maria De Filippi.

[14][15] On 15 January 2016, "No Hero" was released as the lead single from Elisa ninth studio album, On, marking a comeback to the English language for the artist.

The album was recorded in English with two Italian-language tracks, "Bruciare per te" and a collaboration called "Sorrido già" with Emma Marrone and Giuliano Sangiorgi.

[22] The live event was anticipated by the last record project with Sugar Music of the greatest hits Soundtrack '97-'17, which debuted at number four on the Italian Album Charts.

[26] In January 2019, Elisa released the album's second single, "Anche fragile", singing it at the Sanremo Music Festival 2019 where she appeared as a special guest.

Elisa also sung the Italian version of "Spirit" and "Can You Feel the Love Tonight" with Marco Mengoni, who voiced Simba.

[35] On 10 April 2020, Elisa published the collaboration "Andrà tutto bene" with Tommaso Paradiso, written during the quarantine due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Italy.

Between December 2022 and January 2023, Elisa performed An Intimate Night, a theatre tour that featured the artistic direction of Dardust.

The duo performed a mash up of Elisa's song "Luce (Tramonti a nord est)" and Giorgia's "Di sole e d'azzurro".

[55][56] In November 2024 she published the single "Dillo solo al buio" and she was featured as sognwriter and producer on Cesare Cremonini's eight studio album Alaska Baby.