EMMALISA has taken on Madonna’s song “Hollywood” and given the pop classic a fresh run. Rather than simply copying the original, she pushes it into a bigger pop setting, which makes sense for a song about fame, dreams and the attraction of Hollywood. The timing is interesting, with EMMALISA preparing to head to Los Angeles and build the next part of her music career.
The beat is one of the first that stands out. It gives the song a strong push while the production keeps adding details without making the track hard to follow. So much is going on here, but it stays clean. The sound design is sharp, and the mix gives everything enough space. We also liked the mastering, which helps the whole thing land with a pop finish.
Then there is the vocal delivery. EMMALISA has a catchy voice and she knows how to use it without getting lost in the production. The melodies stick around and the hook gives the track an easy point to come back to. That matters with a song like this because there is always a risk that a new version will depend too much on the name of the original. This one has character to stand on its own.
There is a really nice energy here. It is glamorous, yes, but not so polished that the song loses its fun side. The whole track is made for people who enjoy big pop sounds, memorable melodies and a bit of fantasy around the idea of making it somewhere bigger. We had a lot of fun with this one. EMMALISA has made a version that respects where the song came from while giving it her own voice and that is probably the best way to approach a classic.
ABOUT THE ARTIST:
EMMALISA is an Australian pop artist from Perth, Western Australia, creating bold, glamorous and emotionally driven pop inspired by the worlds of Hollywood, fashion, nightlife and self-reinvention. Having released music independently for five years, she has developed a growing catalogue spanning dance-pop, contemporary pop and dark pop/ALT, with previous releases including ICONIC, FAMOUS, Killer Heels, Hot Girl Era and Can’t Block Me on the Internet. Her music explores confidence, ambition, escapism and the pursuit of bigger dreams.
In 2026, EMMALISA entered a new chapter of her career by rebranding under the stage name EMMALISA, a streamlined evolution of her own name and a reflection of the artist and creative world she is building. Her goal is to create pop that feels unapologetically feminine, glamorous and aspirational, while still revealing the real person underneath the fantasy.
