Sia

Sia Kate Isobelle Furler never wanted to be the center of attention. In 2014 she released 1000 Forms of Fear and decided the world would only see a platinum blonde wig covering her face. Her career began much earlier in Adelaide. She was part of the funk jazz band Crisp in the mid-nineties, but the adventure didn't last long.

The group disbanded in 1997. She moved to London to follow her boyfriend, but he died in a car accident before Sia arrived in the city. The tragedy marked her early years in the UK and pushed her to find refuge in songwriting.

That trauma defined her first solo album.

In 2001 she released Healing Is Difficult. Its blend of R&B and jazz caught the attention of British critics. But sales were modest, and her relationship with the record label ended abruptly. She signed with Go! Beat and in 2004 released Colour the Small One. The track Breathe Me ended up closing the final chapter of the series Six Feet Under in 2005.

The Hit-Making Machine Behind the Scenes

Stage fright and drug addiction pushed her to step away from the stage. She wanted to write for others and leave the touring behind. In 2011 she wrote Titanium for David Guetta. The DJ used her voice from the original demo without permission, but the track sold more than five million copies worldwide.

Rihanna recorded Diamonds in 2012. Sia wrote the lyrics in just fourteen minutes over a track that was already finished. That's when her name started to rise in the offices of Los Angeles. She wrote for Beyoncé and Britney Spears. She also wrote for Katy Perry.

Because her knack for crafting catchy hooks was almost mathematical.

Her own name started to outweigh the songs she gave away. In 2014, the single Chandelier brought her back to global charts. Her strategy of hiding her face worked as an unintended marketing tool that deepened the mystery surrounding her.

The Missteps Behind the Camera

Her connection to film has always been strong through soundtracks. In 2013 she contributed to The Great Gatsby with the song Kill and Run. But in 2021 she decided to make the leap into directing with Music. The film was a personal project that took years to get made and funded.

The casting sparked fierce controversy on social media. She chose Maddie Ziegler to play a young woman with autism, and the neurodivergent community criticized the lack of authentic representation. The film earned two Golden Globe nominations, but professional critics panned it with a 7% score on Rotten Tomatoes.

It was a harsh blow to her creative reputation.

In 2023, the artist publicly confirmed her own autism diagnosis. She explained that understanding her brain brought her relief after decades of personal confusion. In 2024, she returned to the studio to release Reasonable Woman. The album featured collaborations with Kylie Minogue and Chaka Khan.

Her distribution deal with Atlantic Records set minimal promotional terms to protect her mental health.