It's no secret that time can change an artist and their intentions for their music. Sia, however, doesn't quite fit into that mold. Of course her sound switches to contemporary pop with each passing album, but her visions remains the same. Scorned love songs and self-empowerment anthems are abundant as ever with Sia's sixth album, "1000 Forms of Fear" (a title about as Sia-esque as they come), and she also continues to foray into harder synth-pop, lite hip/hop, and some urban grooves that Rihanna could've pulled off with equal efficiency (of course without the intense emotional connection of Sia, as sings each note here as if it were ripped from her soul). But, instead of losing her charm as she slowly increases accessibility to her albums, the pop hooks and insistent beats only enchance her unique songwriting style (which has been exploited to the hilt in 2010's anthems such as "Diamonds", "Titanium", and "Wild Ones"). Her idiosyncratic voice continues to find perfect environments for it to roam and showcase the shapes and bends that Sia pulls off better than her diva songwriting clients (here's looking at you Beyonce and Christina). Best of all, the songs are more consistently catchy than in any one of her previous albums, so appreciating this record as a piece is much easier than the more varied "We Are Born". It may not be as left-field as its predecessor, or as expertly produced as "Some People Have Real Problems", but it's also the first time in Sia's career that she embraces her introverted nature (note the album cover, which dons the Sia bob, but not her face), and in writing songs about triumph for other artists, she continues to save her best material for her own albums. Because let's face it, only she could pull off a song like "Chandelier", a Rihanna meets Miley anthem about swinging from those light fixtures while drunk, and elicit nary an eye bat from any listener.
Recommended Tracks in Bold:
1. Chandelier 2. Big Girls Cry 3. Burn
the Pages
4. Eye of the
Needle 5.
Hostage 6. Straight for
the Knife
7. Fair Game 8.
Elastic Heart 9. Free the Animal
10. Fire Meet Gasoline 11. Cellophane 12. Dressed in Black
