Sia Some People Have Real Problems
Review of Australian Singer Sia's New Album and YouTube Video Debut
Aug 14, 2008 Ariana Marie Rice
Australian singer/songwriter, Sia, shows that she just wants to play in her newest album Some People Have Real Problems. Sia shows her childlike, carefree attitude through her innovative vocals, lyrics and videos.
Some People Have Real Problems shows Sia's listeners that she does not take herself too seriously despite her heartfelt music and lyrics. Her songs invite her adult listeners to follow her in regressing back to a carefree childhood before the pressures to look cool and fit in reared their ugly heads with her outlandish lyrics and funky beats.
Fun in Times of Heartbreak
While her newest album does include songs that deal with harsh break-ups and broken hearts such as Little Black Sandals and You Have Been Loved, Sia's choice in album title creates hilarious irony. As Sia sings out about various hurts each song is under a larger heading that says 'this is no big deal'. Through the title she communicates her awareness that her issues are no worse than thousands of other people's and she keeps the musical conversation lighthearted and fun.
If her album title itself doesn't communicate this playful message, her music videos spell it out clearly. In her popular video for the hidden track Buttons she allows a camera crew to videotape her while her face is covered and contorted through various methods, making for some hilarious facial expressions.
In her Buttons video, Sia dons clothespins, pantyhose, saran wrap and even a rediculously stretched out condom. She attempts to sing the words to her song while plastic or cloth slide across her face, smashing her nose and enlarging her lips. This particular video has been viewed 221,406 times on YouTube, showing that the public can appreciate a girl who does not care about looking pretty in front of her audience.
A New Sia Emerges
Sia's silliness in Some People Have Real Problems is even more surprising in light of her previous albums Healing is Difficult 2000 and Colour the Small One 2004. Whereas in her former album her voice rarely reaches a decibel higher than a whisper, Sia belts out sassy licks and lyrics throughout her new album. The Girl You Lost to Cocaine and Death By Chocolate show a more soulful and gutsy side of this female vocalist.
The title change between her first and newest albums also signals a transformation in her style and work. She began by acknowledging her pain in Healing is Difficult and now has reached a place where she can poke fun at it.
Some People Have Real Problems, Sia's third full length LP and second full album to be released in the US tells her fans that she will not disappoint or grow old as time continues. Sia succeeds in surprising and entertaining her fans with her out-of-the-box performance and creativity, and everybody is looking forward to her next musical endeavor.
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