Sia

Sia Kate Isobelle Furler, known mononymously as Sia, is an Australian singer and songwriter whose distinctive voice and prolific songwriting have made her one of the most recognizable figures in contemporary pop music. After years working as a touring vocalist and behind-the-scenes writer, she rose to global fame in the 2010s with a string of hit singles and a deliberately private public persona, often performing with her face partly obscured by oversized wigs.

Early life

Sia was born in Adelaide, South Australia, in 1975. She grew up in a musical household and began performing in her teens, initially singing with the Adelaide-based acid jazz group Crisp in the 1990s. After the band dissolved, she relocated to London, where she contributed vocals to projects in the electronic and dance scene, most notably collaborating with the British duo Zero 7. Her early solo work drew on jazz, soul, and downtempo influences.

Career

Sia released several solo albums in the 2000s, including Colour the Small One (2004), which featured the ballad Breathe Me. That song gained wide exposure after it was used in the closing sequence of the television series Six Feet Under, helping introduce her to American audiences. Albums such as Some People Have Real Problems (2008) and We Are Born (2010) followed, building a devoted following while she continued to tour.

Finding the pressures of fame difficult, Sia stepped back from frontline performing and focused on songwriting for other artists. During this period she co-wrote major hits including Rihanna's Diamonds, Beyonce's Pretty Hurts, and material for Katy Perry, Kelly Clarkson, and others. She also lent her voice to David Guetta's Titanium and Flo Rida's Wild Ones, both international successes.

Her return as a solo artist came with the album 1000 Forms of Fear (2014), led by the single Chandelier. The song became a worldwide hit and earned multiple Grammy nominations, and its music video, featuring dancer Maddie Ziegler, became a cultural touchstone. The follow-up album This Is Acting (2016) included Cheap Thrills, which topped the US Billboard Hot 100. Throughout this era Sia cultivated a visual identity centered on concealing her face, allowing her to maintain privacy while her music reached mass audiences.

Recent work

Sia released the holiday album Everyday Is Christmas in 2017 and continued collaborating across genres, including her work with the supergroup LSD alongside Labrinth and Diplo. In 2021 she made her feature directorial debut with the film Music, a project that drew significant criticism, particularly over its portrayal of autism and casting choices. She later returned to recording, releasing the album Reasonable Woman in 2024. Over her career she has been nominated for numerous Grammy Awards and remains widely regarded as one of pop's most influential songwriters, known both for her vocal power and for shaping hits performed by many of the era's biggest stars.