Jump to content

Marlisa Punzalan

From Alfawiki
Marlisa Punzalan
Born
Marlisa Ann Punzalan

(1999-10-01) October 1, 1999 (age 27)
Sydney, Australia
OccupationSinger
Years active2013–present
Known forWinner of The X Factor Australia (season 6)

Marlisa Ann Punzalan (born 1 October 1999), professionally known as Marlisa, is a singer from Australia. At just 15 years old, she claimed victory in the sixth season of The X Factor Australia in 2014, making her the youngest champion in the show's history. After her win, she secured a recording contract with Sony Music Australia and launched her debut single "Stand by You," which entered the ARIA Charts at number two and earned platinum certification from the Australian Recording Industry Association. Her first album, titled Marlisa, reached number six on the ARIA Albums Chart and achieved gold status. The single "Stand by You" also garnered a nomination for the ARIA Award for Song of the Year in 2015.

Early life

Born in Sydney to Filipino parents Lito and Andrea Punzalan, Marlisa Ann Punzalan was raised in the suburb of Glendenning. She began vocalizing at the age of three. Before gaining prominence, she auditioned for the seventh season of Australia's Got Talent in 2013 but did not progress beyond the initial auditions and narrowly missed qualifying for The Voice Kids. Prior to her participation on The X Factor Australia in 2014, she was enrolled at Mercy Catholic College in Chatswood and frequently took part in charity performances and competitions. Following her success on The X Factor, she transitioned from conventional schooling to homeschooling to dedicate herself fully to her musical pursuits.

2014: The X Factor Australia

In 2014, Punzalan entered the sixth season of The X Factor Australia, impressing judges with her rendition of The Beatles' "Yesterday," which earned her a standing ovation and unanimous approval, advancing her to the super bootcamp stage. During bootcamp, she participated in a group challenge before performing Jessica Mauboy's "Never Be the Same" in front of judges and an audience of 1,000 people. At the home visits held in New York City, she sang "I'll Stand by You" for mentor Ronan Keating alongside guest mentor John Legend. Keating chose her along with Sydnee Carter and Caitlyn Shadbolt to proceed to the live finals—a series consisting of eleven weekly shows where contestants faced public voting eliminations.

After Carter and Shadbolt were eliminated, Punzalan stood as the sole remaining contestant under Keating’s mentorship. In the semi-final round, she found herself in the bottom two against Reigan Derry and performed John Farnham’s adaptation of The Beatles' "Help!" during the final showdown. With judges deadlocked on their decision, Punzalan advanced due to receiving more public votes. On 20 October 2014, she was declared the winner of season six, marking the first time a contestant from the Girls category secured victory.

Performances on The X Factor


2014–2017: Marlisa

Following her victory on The X Factor, Punzalan's first single, "Stand by You", was made available on the iTunes Store and resulted in a recording deal with Sony Music Australia. The track entered the ARIA Singles Chart at number two and achieved platinum status by surpassing 70,000 sales. It also appeared on charts in Singapore and New Zealand, reaching positions seven and 21 respectively. Additionally, the single's audio release on YouTube helped it debut at number 29 on the Billboard Twitter Real-Time Emerging Artists Chart.

Her debut album, Marlisa, launched on 7 November 2014, featured studio recordings of songs performed during The X Factor. The album entered the ARIA Albums Chart at number six and peaked at number 11 in New Zealand, receiving a gold certification for shipping over 35,000 copies. It was ranked as the 83rd highest-selling album in Australia for that year.

Towards the end of 2014, Punzalan held two concerts at Rooty Hill RSL Club to connect with her local supporters. In December, she collaborated with fellow Australian musicians to produce a charity rendition of Kate Bush's "This Woman's Work" under the group name "Hope for Isla and Jude," aimed at fundraising for children suffering from Sanfilippo syndrome; this single reached number 79 on the ARIA Singles Chart.

To commemorate the Philippines' 117th Independence Day in June 2015, she released a Filipino-language version of her second single "Unstoppable". Her third single, "Forever Young," was released in November 2015. By 2017, it was reported that she had ended her association with Sony Music, as she was no longer listed among their signed artists.

2018–2021: Brave

In June 2018, Marlisa unveiled "Thank You," marking her first single release in over two years, under ABS-CBN Film Productions. This was followed by her second studio album, Brave, which was released in March 2019.

2022–present: cover EPs

After signing with Osetero Limited in 2022, Marlisa has put out multiple cover EPs.

Artistry

Besides her vocal talents, Punzalan is proficient at playing the piano and identifies Eva Cassidy and Jessica Mauboy as significant musical inspirations.

Studio albums

Overview of studio albums including selected chart rankings and certifications
Title Album details Highest chart positions Certifications
AUS NZ
Marlisa 6 11
Brave
  • Release date: 15 March 2019
  • Label: ABS-CBN Film Productions
  • Formats: Digital download, streaming
 — —

Extended plays

Comprehensive list of EPs with essential information
Title Details
Volume One
  • Date issued: 3 June 2022
  • Format: digital release
  • Label: Ostereo
Volume Two
  • Date issued: 22 June 2022
  • Format: digital release
  • Label: Ostereo
Volume Three
  • Date issued: 18 November 2022
  • Format: digital release
  • Label: Ostereo
Volume Four
  • Date issued: 9 December 2022
  • Format: digital release
  • Label: Ostereo
Volume Five
  • Date issued: 2 March 2023
  • Format: digital release
  • Label: Ostereo
Volume Six
  • Date issued: 17 March 2023
  • Format: digital release
  • Label: Ostereo
Volume Seven
  • Date issued: 8 September 2023
  • Format: digital release
  • Label: Ostereo

Singles

Singles overview including peak chart rankings and certifications
Title Year Highest chart positions Certifications Album association
AUS NZ SIN
"Stand by You" 2014 2 21 7
  • ARIA: Platinum status
 Marlisa
"Unstoppable" 2015 — — — Non-album singles
"Forever Young" 72 — —
"Thank You" 2018 — — — Brave
"Steel"
(with Moophs) 		— — —
"Brave"
(featuring Markus) 		2019 — — —
"You Are the Reason" 2023 — — — Released as a non-album single
"—" indicates singles that did not chart or were not released in the respective country.

Other charted songs

Charted tracks that were not released as singles, with peak Australian chart positions
Title Year released Peak position (AUS)
"Nothing Else Matters" 2014 87
"Somewhere Over the Rainbow" 93
"Titanium" 96
"Yesterday" 67

Music videos

Compilation of music videos
Title Year Director(s)
"Stand by You" 2014

Awards and nominations

Year Award event Category Outcome
2015 ARIA Music Awards Song of the Year ("Stand by You") Template:Nom

Additional resources

Related links

Retrieved from "https://www.alfawiki.org/index.php?title=Marlisa_Punzalan&oldid=63637"