NZ Herald
  • Home
  • Latest news
  • Herald NOW
  • Video
  • New Zealand
  • Sport
  • World
  • Business
  • Entertainment
  • Podcasts
  • Quizzes
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Travel
  • Viva
  • Weather

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • New Zealand
    • All New Zealand
    • Crime
    • Politics
    • Education
    • Open Justice
    • Scam Update
  • Herald NOW
  • On The Up
  • World
    • All World
    • Australia
    • Asia
    • UK
    • United States
    • Middle East
    • Europe
    • Pacific
  • Business
    • All Business
    • MarketsSharesCurrencyCommoditiesStock TakesCrypto
    • Markets with Madison
    • Media Insider
    • Business analysis
    • Personal financeKiwiSaverInterest ratesTaxInvestment
    • EconomyInflationGDPOfficial cash rateEmployment
    • Small business
    • Business reportsMood of the BoardroomProject AucklandSustainable business and financeCapital markets reportAgribusiness reportInfrastructure reportDynamic business
    • Deloitte Top 200 Awards
    • CompaniesAged CareAgribusinessAirlinesBanking and financeConstructionEnergyFreight and logisticsHealthcareManufacturingMedia and MarketingRetailTelecommunicationsTourism
  • Opinion
    • All Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Editorials
    • Business analysis
    • Premium opinion
    • Letters to the editor
  • Politics
  • Sport
    • All Sport
    • OlympicsParalympics
    • RugbySuper RugbyNPCAll BlacksBlack FernsRugby sevensSchool rugby
    • CricketBlack CapsWhite Ferns
    • Racing
    • NetballSilver Ferns
    • LeagueWarriorsNRL
    • FootballWellington PhoenixAuckland FCAll WhitesFootball FernsEnglish Premier League
    • GolfNZ Open
    • MotorsportFormula 1
    • Boxing
    • UFC
    • BasketballNBABreakersTall BlacksTall Ferns
    • Tennis
    • Cycling
    • Athletics
    • SailingAmerica's CupSailGP
    • Rowing
  • Lifestyle
    • All Lifestyle
    • Viva - Food, fashion & beauty
    • Society Insider
    • Royals
    • Sex & relationships
    • Food & drinkRecipesRecipe collectionsRestaurant reviewsRestaurant bookings
    • Health & wellbeing
    • Fashion & beauty
    • Pets & animals
    • The Selection - Shop the trendsShop fashionShop beautyShop entertainmentShop giftsShop home & living
    • Milford's Investing Place
  • Entertainment
    • All Entertainment
    • TV
    • MoviesMovie reviews
    • MusicMusic reviews
    • BooksBook reviews
    • Culture
    • ReviewsBook reviewsMovie reviewsMusic reviewsRestaurant reviews
  • Travel
    • All Travel
    • News
    • New ZealandNorthlandAucklandWellingtonCanterburyOtago / QueenstownNelson-TasmanBest NZ beaches
    • International travelAustraliaPacific IslandsEuropeUKUSAAfricaAsia
    • Rail holidays
    • Cruise holidays
    • Ski holidays
    • Luxury travel
    • Adventure travel
  • Kāhu Māori news
  • Environment
    • All Environment
    • Our Green Future
  • Talanoa Pacific news
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Property Insider
    • Interest rates tracker
    • Residential property listings
    • Commercial property listings
  • Health
  • Technology
    • All Technology
    • AI
    • Social media
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
    • Opinion
    • Audio & podcasts
  • Weather forecasts
    • All Weather forecasts
    • Kaitaia
    • Whangārei
    • Dargaville
    • Auckland
    • Thames
    • Tauranga
    • Hamilton
    • Whakatāne
    • Rotorua
    • Tokoroa
    • Te Kuiti
    • Taumaranui
    • Taupō
    • Gisborne
    • New Plymouth
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Dannevirke
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Levin
    • Paraparaumu
    • Masterton
    • Wellington
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Blenheim
    • Westport
    • Reefton
    • Kaikōura
    • Greymouth
    • Hokitika
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
    • Wānaka
    • Oamaru
    • Queenstown
    • Dunedin
    • Gore
    • Invercargill
  • Meet the journalists
  • Promotions & competitions
  • OneRoof property listings
  • Driven car news

Puzzles & Quizzes

  • Puzzles
    • All Puzzles
    • Sudoku
    • Code Cracker
    • Crosswords
    • Cryptic crossword
    • Wordsearch
  • Quizzes
    • All Quizzes
    • Morning quiz
    • Afternoon quiz
    • Sports quiz

Regions

  • Northland
    • All Northland
    • Far North
    • Kaitaia
    • Kerikeri
    • Kaikohe
    • Bay of Islands
    • Whangarei
    • Dargaville
    • Kaipara
    • Mangawhai
  • Auckland
  • Waikato
    • All Waikato
    • Hamilton
    • Coromandel & Hauraki
    • Matamata & Piako
    • Cambridge
    • Te Awamutu
    • Tokoroa & South Waikato
    • Taupō & Tūrangi
  • Bay of Plenty
    • All Bay of Plenty
    • Katikati
    • Tauranga
    • Mount Maunganui
    • Pāpāmoa
    • Te Puke
    • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Hawke's Bay
    • All Hawke's Bay
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Havelock North
    • Central Hawke's Bay
    • Wairoa
  • Taranaki
    • All Taranaki
    • Stratford
    • New Plymouth
    • Hāwera
  • Manawatū - Whanganui
    • All Manawatū - Whanganui
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Manawatū
    • Tararua
    • Horowhenua
  • Wellington
    • All Wellington
    • Kapiti
    • Wairarapa
    • Upper Hutt
    • Lower Hutt
  • Nelson & Tasman
    • All Nelson & Tasman
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Tasman
  • Marlborough
  • West Coast
  • Canterbury
    • All Canterbury
    • Kaikōura
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
  • Otago
    • All Otago
    • Oamaru
    • Dunedin
    • Balclutha
    • Alexandra
    • Queenstown
    • Wanaka
  • Southland
    • All Southland
    • Invercargill
    • Gore
    • Stewart Island
  • Gisborne

Media

  • Video
    • All Video
    • NZ news video
    • Herald NOW
    • Business news video
    • Politics news video
    • Sport video
    • World news video
    • Lifestyle video
    • Entertainment video
    • Travel video
    • Markets with Madison
    • Kea Kids news
  • Podcasts
    • All Podcasts
    • The Front Page
    • On the Tiles
    • Ask me Anything
    • The Little Things
  • Cartoons
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Entertainment

Elizabeth Marvelly debuts new name and style

By Paula Yeoman
Herald on Sunday·
4 Jan, 2014 04:30 PM4 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

Elizabeth Marvelley is launching a pop career and rebranding herself as Lizzie Marvelly.

Elizabeth Marvelley is launching a pop career and rebranding herself as Lizzie Marvelly.

You'll know her as Elizabeth Marvelly. The classical cross-over singer who has shared the stage with legends such as Dame Malvina Major, Paul Potts and the late Sir Howard Morrison. But on January 10 she will take one of the biggest steps of her career when she releases Generation Young, her first pop song as Lizzie Marvelly.

It's is an uplifting, anthemic tune - just as bold as the 24-year-old singer has had to be in re-inventing herself as a pop artist.

Relaxing at her family home in Rotorua, Marvelly confesses she expected to be
a basket case in the weeks leading up to the song's release. Instead, she is experiencing moments of clarity and calm, mixed with extreme excitement.

"I thought I'd be completely terrified, to be honest. I don't know when I got over this fear, but now I'm just excited. I guess it's been 18 months of going down this road and learning about myself as a writer."

Marvelly decided to change direction musically in 2012. She had just come off a tour and, although she had enjoyed being on the road, performing and meeting fans, something wasn't right.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"I thought, 'you're not happy and if you're not happy, you need to find a way to be happy.' I kind of came to a personal crossroads," she recalls.

"I was loving being on stage and I was loving being a musician, but the classical cross-over - I just didn't love it any more.

I know that might sound a bit harsh, and there are so many wonderful classical cross-over fans out there, but it just wasn't in my heart. I was standing up there on stage and I kind of felt it was disingenuous, like I was pedalling something I didn't really believe in any more."

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

And so the young singer started to focus her energies on a new genre and set about writing new tunes tinged with pop.

"My poor, poor manager had to listen to a number of rubbish songs to start with," she laughs, referring to Sydney-based Vibica Auld from Modest! Management who also looks after pop acts One Direction, Little Mix and Olly Murs. "I'd obviously been writing songs since I was a little girl but it took a while to sink into it, and when I did, it was surprising and fascinating."

Marvelly isn't giving too much away about her full-length album, due out mid year. But she says it's essentially a pop album and that Generation Young is a good indication of the new direction she's taken.

And that's a good sign. Because Generation Young has all the hallmarks of a pop hit. There is the slow build up to the soaring catchy-as-hell chorus, the empowering lyrics, and of course, flawless vocals from one of New Zealand's purest voices.

For Marvelly, it was important she put her best foot forward. And that meant releasing a big song that stood her apart from her former self, but one not so radical that fans of her previous work would throw up their arms in disgust. Although she admits, that's possible, too.

"I hope that they understand that I just had to be me. I wasn't really doing them or myself any favours carrying on down a road that just didn't really fit me.

"And you know, I've been so lucky. I've had some great fans and I really do hope they come along for the journey. Perhaps I can be the one pop artist that they like."

Marvelly also has no idea how the industry will react to her new sound - whether it will get radio play; whether she can compete with the big international acts like Katy Perry, Taylor Swift and Miley Cyrus.

But what matters, is that she has been brave enough to take this leap of faith and most importantly, she's happy.

"I can't control what the reaction is going to be. But it's totally me and it's the start of me being able to be the artist I want to be and write the music I want to write."

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Lizzie Marvelly's new song Generation Young will be available on iTunes on January 10. She will be performing at Rotorua's Lakeside Concert on February 22.

Save

    Share this article

Latest from Entertainment

Entertainment

What to watch at this year's Whānau Mārama: NZ International Film Festival

04 Jul 05:00 PM
Entertainment

NZ International Film Festival 2025 Trailer

Entertainment

Life of regrets: Actor Michael Madsen's struggles before his death

04 Jul 02:41 AM

Sponsored: Get your kids involved in your reno

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Entertainment

What to watch at this year's Whānau Mārama: NZ International Film Festival

What to watch at this year's Whānau Mārama: NZ International Film Festival

04 Jul 05:00 PM

The newly announced NZIFF 2025 lineup is packed with Cannes films and local gems.

NZ International Film Festival 2025 Trailer

NZ International Film Festival 2025 Trailer

Life of regrets: Actor Michael Madsen's struggles before his death

Life of regrets: Actor Michael Madsen's struggles before his death

04 Jul 02:41 AM
Katy Perry and Orlando Bloom confirm split in joint statement

Katy Perry and Orlando Bloom confirm split in joint statement

04 Jul 02:27 AM
Sponsored: Why heat pumps make winter cheaper
sponsored

Sponsored: Why heat pumps make winter cheaper

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • NZ Herald e-editions
  • Daily puzzles & quizzes
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Subscribe to the NZ Herald newspaper
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP