Inspiration: Sia

I know Sia's video for "Chandelier" is not new, but I wanted to share a bit about it anyway. 

Sia Furler is an Australian singer and songwriter, and has written hits for many artists including Madonna, Katy Perry, and Rihanna (you may recognize Sia's name from the song "Titanium" that she co-wrote and performed with David Guetta.) Sia has suffered from depression, drug, and alcohol addiction. She took a break from performing and the public eye in 2010, stating that she was almost smothered by her own success.

After receiving treatment, Sia went back to writing. Touted as an "anti-party girl anthem," Sia almost gave "Chandelier" to Rihanna, but changed her mind saying it was too personal and she needed to sing it herself. She refused to show her face on the cover art, and hides or doesn't show her face when she performs the song live. 

As an artist, I completely understand what she was feeling with this song. Sometimes we create things that are just too personal to sell, or maybe we show it, but we can't talk about it. It's hard to remove yourself from the art, because the art is a part of you and your journey. And sometimes you create without even quite understanding what it's about. Those pieces are, quite often, our best ones, our most powerful ones; at least for me, not every piece I create can be that personal and autobiographical. It's emotionally exhausting. 

The video for "Chandelier" features 11-year-old dancer Maddie, who performs with incredible passion and a naivete that captures Sia's struggle and brings me to tears when I see the video. It feels as though we have stepped into her head - this visual representation of depression, decay, intense psychological struggle, and loss of control. While there is a sadness to it there is also strength, knowing that Sia has gained the confidence to look back on her pain and share it with others.

What I have included below is the video of the LIVE performance of "Chandelier" from the Ellen show. The set and dance are recreated from the video, but what I love even more about this performance is that you can really feel what Sia's words mean to her in her voice, and it's really beautiful and cathartic.