Sia

Sia Kate Isobelle Furler was born on December 18, 1975, in Adelaide, South Australia. She began performing as a singer in the acid-jazz band Crisp, then moved to London in 1997, where she became a guest vocalist for the electronic duo Zero 7. Her voice appears prominently on Zero 7's albums Simple Things and When It Falls, connecting her to the scene before audiences knew her name.

Sia's early solo records included OnlySee (1997), Healing Is Difficult (2001), and Colour the Small One (2004). The last album's song "Breathe Me" gained exposure when it accompanied the closing scene of HBO's Six Feet Under in 2005. She followed with Some People Have Real Problems (2008) and We Are Born (2010), but struggled with the pressures of touring and public visibility.

Her career changed after she focused on songwriting for other performers. She co-wrote Rihanna's "Diamonds," David Guetta's "Titanium" (sung by Sia), Flo Rida's "Wild Ones," and Beyoncé's "Pretty Hurts." These credits established her as a sought-after writer while she hid her face with oversized wigs to protect her privacy.

In 2014, Sia released 1000 Forms of Fear, an album built around "Chandelier." Its video starred child dancer Maddie Ziegler, whose expressive solo became central to Sia's visual identity. "Elastic Heart" and "Big Girls Cry" continued that era's themes of emotional survival. "Chandelier" earned four Grammy nominations, including Song of the Year and Record of the Year.

She later released This Is Acting (2016), whose songs were largely written for other artists but recorded by Sia after they passed on them. It included "Cheap Thrills," which reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100. Her holiday album Everyday Is Christmas followed in 2017. With Diplo and Labrinth, she formed LSD, releasing the group's self-titled album in 2019.

Sia wrote and directed the musical film Music, released in 2021, starring Kate Hudson, Maddie Ziegler, and Leslie Odom Jr. The film's portrayal of an autistic character drew criticism from disability advocates, while its song "Here I Am" received a Golden Globe nomination. In 2024, Sia returned with Reasonable Woman, her first solo studio album in eight years. It includes collaborations with Kylie Minogue, Labrinth, and Chaka Khan. Across her career, Sia has balanced candid songs about addiction, anxiety, grief, and recovery with controlled public imagery. Her impact comes from making emotionally intense pop recognizable without making celebrity exposure its central subject.