When I was 18 years old I vividly remember going to see Zero 7 live a number of times. I adored their blissed out electronica and the amazing vocalists they toured with and featured on their albums. One such artist was a petite Australian with a big voice. Her name? Sia Furler.
Sia’s vocals featured on most of my favourite Zero 7 tracks and, being the music obsessed human I am, I very soon sought out her solo albums.
Sia’s voice not only blew me away with it’s power, but the sheer vulnerability of it felt raw and always teetering on the edge of complete destruction. I soon discovered more of Sia’s solo music and just how talented a songwriter she was (and still is). I even had the rare joy of attending one of her solo gigs in Glasgow. Watching her bare her soul through her music with complete and utter openness and honesty was one of my favourite gig experiences.
Sia seemed to go off the music radar for a while, instead focusing on her role as songwriter for many other acts on the music scene, penning chart topping hit after hit. 
A few years ago, Sia returned with albums filled with new material. But this time it was different. Refusing to show her face during performances, she has instead created a ‘Sia-brand’ of a blonde or black-white wig that dancers and other performers wear while she sings with her back to the audience.
The reason why?
She wishes to regain anonymity and protect what she can of who she is. The joy of being able to go to the supermarket without being ‘papped’ is a simple thing that she takes pleasure in, in spite of being one of the most successful songwriters in the business today.
I watched an interview with her recently which gave a lot more of the story and the reasons behind these choices. In the late 2000s, having been battling alcoholism and addiction to Xanax and OxyContin, Sia was in her darkest place and had planned to commit suicide. A timely phone call from a friend helped to bring her back and she started the 12-step recovery programme. Having seen the devastating effect that media scrutiny can have on the many acts that she writes for, she made a promise to herself to protect her private life as far as she possibly could. Through becoming and remaining sober, and focusing and caring for her mental health, she has spoken about how much happier she is and how much more capable she is of protecting that privacy she so craves.
Instead of being a face before her music, her music and art takes centre stage. She has friends and artists perform on stage while she sings with her back to the audience, or hidden in some way. Her performers wear the iconic blond bob and regularly represent ‘states of Sia’ – a prime example of this is the video of ‘Elastic Heart’ where Shia LaBeouf and Maddie Ziegler performed as the ‘warring states of Sia’. These artistic choices serve to place the music and the story front and centre – often revealing a lot more about Sia and her own struggles than any face-to-face interview ever would.
With lyrics like:
…Sia’s honesty, rawness, and openness in her art is what I will continue to admire.
