Another sublime album from Sia
By Chin Kah Loong
Kicking off her album with her explosive lead single, Chandelier, Sia Furler manages to hook listeners by the first song. The Australian singer and songwriter has shown that she’s one of the best in the business when it comes to penning pop songs. She has lead song writing credits in hit singles such as Diamonds by Rihanna and Titanium by David Guetta.
For 1000 Forms of Fear’s release, Sia made the decision to focus on promoting it visually, with videos being the main source of generating buzz.
However, as the media started talking about the album before its release, Sia was nowhere to be found. Camera-shy and determined to keep her distance, the album would not be accompanied with subsequent tours or press appearances from the artist. Chandelier’s official music video did not feature Sia; instead, reality TV star Maddie Ziegler of Dance Moms fame was the only character in the video.
The Album Cover. Source: RCA Records
Nevertheless, it was a tremendous success and eventually won Best Choreography at the MTV Video Music Awards 2014.
1000 Forms of Fear is the sixth full-length album by Sia. Unlike her previous records, it takes on a more melancholic theme while adopting the sleek production of radio-friendly electronic pop.
With the help of long-time associate Greg Kurstin, who has produced hit songs for Kelly Clarkson and many others, the duo have assembled a solid set of songs. The standard formula of typical pop album such as anthems and ballads are present on 1000 Forms but they retain the hauntingly reflective elements of Sia’s songwriting.
Themes such as addiction, love and fame are prevalent throughout the record. In particular, Chandelier’s lyrics deal with hard-core partying, its aftermath and how one continues to justify subjecting themselves to the experience. Immediately following Chandelier, Big Girls Cry takes a slower approach to the subject of relationships.
In nearly every song, it’s clear that Sia’s voice and lyrics are the stars of the show. The imperfect yet genuine delivery of lines in songs like Hostage and Chandelier helps the album avoid sounding too artificial. The rasps and breaks in these vocals highlight the emotional impact of the lyrics of these songs.
Relationships are the prevailing subject of the album with nearly every song describing some aspect of it. Straight for the Knife and Fire meet Gasoline touches the volatile relationship of a couple who are both intensely in love yet toxic to each other.
Perhaps the most intense song on the record, Free the Animal features Sia at her loudest and the brilliance of Kurstin’s production. It’s a song that quickly goes from a simple beat to an explosive chorus and then never lets up.
The chopped-up vocals in one of the verses complements the fiery electronic beat of the song. In contrast to this, a few songs like Fair Game diverge from the electronic pop style of the album, with Sia returning to a more acoustical slant.
Violins and xylophones stand out here with Sia’s vocals carrying the song. Kurstin’s production shines through with these songs as they leave the muddier sounds of Sia’s earlier albums. Careful listeners will also notice every instrument is distinctly identifiable.
This might put off some of her long-time fans who could view it as Sia turning her back on the genre she came from. But it’s clear that Sia is not afraid of venturing into the current pop arena that she has helped establish from her songwriting.
While some might decry it as a departure or even a stumble, the critical and commercial success that 1000 Forms of Fear has already experienced proves that Sia has done something right. She has created one of the best albums of the year, one that manages to be both captivating and personal.