If you haven’t heard of Sia, you are definitely missing out. Sia is an Australian singer/songwriter who creates abstract, down tempo, pop and jazz music. Her most recent musical adventure is her album 1000 Forms Of Fear, which is her sixth studio album. I always knew about Sia, but I had no idea she had released that many albums. This album is stunning, every song has its own character, and it seems that Sia’s music has become a little more mainstream. A lot of people might even complain about this, and when I find amazing and talented artists I usually don’t want them to become mainstream either, but I think this is really good for Sia. I think she is too talented for more people to not know about her.
This album is a masterpiece, to put it lightly. It showcases her artful voice as well as her ability to expertly write a song. A lot of the songs on this album have an almost dark tone to them, but they still have Sia’s quirky style. In March, Sia released the first single from her new album, “Chandelier,” which absolutely blew my mind. It’s a beautiful song about letting go and wanting to “swing from the chandeliers.” The song also came with an odd music video that I ended up really enjoying. It features dancer Maddie Ziegler from the reality show “Dance Moms” and only her. It takes place in what looks like an abandoned apartment as Maddie performs extremely unique and visceral choreography in every area of the room. It’s quite visually stunning and overall a beautiful video. You’ll have to check it out for yourself to get the full effect, it’s hard to put into words how fascinating it really is.
This single gave me high hopes for the album, and I was not disappointed. Of course, like every album, it has its ups and downs, but its downs are not that bad and its ups are pretty fantastic. The lyrics I feel are the real reason I love this album. They really speak to a lot of different emotions and nothing seems out of place. Also, everything from the lyrics to the production of the songs is atypical from what is considered mainstream; it puts the album into a category of its own.
My favorite songs on the album in no particular order are: “Chandelier,” “Elastic Heart,” “Free the Animal,” “Hostage,” “Fair Game,” and “Fire Meet Gasoline.” There are only 12 songs on the album, and half of the songs are my top songs, if that gives you any perspective on how awesome this album is. If I had to choose a favorite it would be “Free the Animal.” This song is perfect for all the people who love singing along with songs in the shower, car, or anywhere else. (I’d be lying if I said I haven’t done so myself). This song has a great beat and shows off Sia’s ability to belt out every lyric.
One of the lows of the album is “Big Girls Cry.” It’s still a great song, but compared to the rest of the album, it doesn’t wow me as much. In fact, it kind of falls flat, but it doesn’t distract from the album at all which is definitely a plus.
As I said before, Sia is not only an astounding singer but also a wonderful songwriter. The songs on her own album are beautifully written, but she has also co-written many songs for some other astounding artists. She has co-wrote for Britney Spears, Beyoncé, Katy Perry, Maroon 5, Celine Dion, and the list goes on. Hopefully you can see why I think you should listen to 1000 Forms Of Fear and really anything that Sia does. If Sia’s not your cup of tea, that’s fine, but you’ll still have to agree that she is extremely talented.
Have a listen to 1000 Forms Of Fear and let me know what your favorite song on the album is!
