Why Sia Doesn’t Show Her Face

by Olivia Truffaut-WongAugust 19, 2014, 12:00 amNews >

Sia, full name Sia Furler, songwriter to the stars, became an accidental superstar, and so, has decided to conceal her face from the public, instead choosing to be identified with a blonde bob.

Sia Was Ready To Retire From Performing

Sia, 38, has been a recording artist since the late ‘90s and had decided to retire and focus on her career as a songwriter when David Guetta released their smash hit “Titanium” with her vocals without telling her.

“And I never even knew it was gonna happen, and I was really upset. Because I had just retired, I was trying to be a pop songwriter, not an artist,” Sia insisted in an interview with NPR.

Sia And The Blonde Bob

Because of her successful career as a songwriter – Sia is the brain behind Beyoncé’s hit “Pretty Hurts” and Rihanna’s “Diamonds,” among others – Sia has the power to dictate her image, and, for now, that means she is not contractually obligated to promote her music, nor is she touring. So, when she decided she would no longer show her face to the press, she did. Sia’s recent hit, “Chandelier” features Dance Moms’ Maddie Ziegler wearing a blonde wig as a surrogate Sia, and, similarly, instead of featuring a portrait of the artist herself, Sia’s newest album, 1000 Forms of Fear – her first since 2010 – features the blonde bob wig on the cover.

“I guess a year and a half ago, maybe I was meditating and I thought, oh, I’ll just be the blonde bob,” Sia revealed to NPR.

Promoting her single “Chandelier,” Sia performed live on Ellen, standing in a corner with her back to the audience as Ziegler re-created the music video, dancing around in that blonde bob wig. And when Sia appeared on Late Night with Seth Meyers, she recruited her famous friend Lena Dunham to perform an interpretive dance, again, wearing the blonde bob wig.

Sia Doesn’t Want To Be A Celebrity

Sia says she is choosing not to publicize her image because she doesn’t want to be famous, telling New York Times Magazine, “I just wanted to have a private life. Once, as my friend was telling me they had cancer, someone came up and asked, in the middle of the conversation, if they could take a photograph with me.”

Sia’s decision to hide her face from the public, however, might be considered too little, too late, as she is already a recognizable face, having done press before. She even appeared on a few episodes of NBC’s The Voice as a mentor for Christina Aguilera’s team.

Even though Sia has already led a long career with her face in front of the camera, she insists on never allowing the press to see her face again. In a recent, on-camera interview with ABC’s Nightline, Sia performed the entire interview with her back to the camera, only showing off her sleek blonde bob.

GET THE LOOK FOR LESS: How To Dress Like Sia

“I don’t want to be famous, or recognizable. I don’t want to be critiqued about the way that I look on the Internet…. I’ve been writing pop songs for pop stars for a couple years and see what their lives are like and that’s just not something I want,” Sia explained.

For More About Sia, check out these stories:

SNL Recap: Kevin Hart Hosts, Sia Performs

Sia Drops ‘Your Never Fully Dressed Without A Smile’ For ‘Annie’

Eminem Announces ‘Slim Shady XV,’ Releases New Song Featuring Sia

Sia ‘1000 Forms Of Fear’ Album Review: A Playful Addition To Sia’s Repertoire

Lena Dunham Performs Interpretive Dance During Sia’s Performance On ‘Seth Myers’

Sia Performs “Chandelier” On ‘Ellen DeGeneres,’ Let’s Maddie Ziegler Take The Spotlight

Get 1000 Forms Of Fear here:

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Article by Olivia Truffaut-Wong

Olivia Truffaut-Wong was born and raised in Berkeley, California, where she developed her love of all things entertainment. After moving to New York City to earn her degree in Film Studies, she stayed on the East Coast to follow her passion and become an entertainment writer. She lives on a diet of television, movies and food.