Review - Sia - 1,000 Forms of Fear

Sia has long been an enigmatic figure in the music industry, and it seems that as she becomes more and more successful, she withdraws even further. She’s become one of the biggest and most sought-after songwriters in the business, and her singles (both her own and ones she is featured on) continue to chart and sell extremely well, and yet we know less about her and see her less frequently than when she was still an indie darling.

1,000 Forms of Fear is the album that almost didn’t happen, as Sia announced a while ago that she didn’t want to record publicly any longer. She has long had a problem with the spotlight, and it looked like she was really done, until she found an unusual and unexpected kind of success.

After writing and featuring (without appearing in videos or public appearances) on big, globally-successful singles with the likes of David Guetta and Flo Rida, she saw the light and decided not only to continue recording and writing, but to go full-force, embracing her inner pop goddess at the same time everybody else embraced her.

This latest album is her opportunity to combine the work she’s been doing with huge pop stars with her signature sound and unique vocals. At moments it’s incredibly dark, while at others it’s beautiful and uplifting. Sia perfectly bounces from sounds about muggings to ones about true love. She even had an international hit on her hands with “Chandelier”, whose video and melodies are as odd as the singer herself.

Sia’s voice—both literally and in lyrical form—are incredibly strong, and while she may be terrified of performing live (apparently the new contract she signed with her label ensured she wouldn’t need to tour and that her promotional appearances would be kept to a minimum), 1,000 Forms of Fear is undeniable proof that she is actually an incredibly brave person.

Listen to: Everything, especially “Chandelier”, “Elastic Heart”, “Dressed In Black”, and “Burn The Pages”