19 Surprising Sia Facts You Need to Know

You’d think there wasn’t much to know about someone who hides behind wigs and crazy costumes all the time. Lucky for you, we’ve dug deep and discovered a few interesting facts about the talented popstar that is Sia.

Behind that incredible voice is a woman who’s experienced career setbacks, drug and alcohol addiction and the death of a loved one. Want to get to know the lady behind the infamous wigs a little more? Delve into these 19 surprising Sia facts…

1. Sia’s Full Name is Sia Kate Isobelle Furler

She may have the shortest name in showbiz but in reality, Sia’s name is much longer than that. Her full name is actually Sia Kate Isobelle Furler. We totally get why the Chandelier singer kept her stage name short. The full version would have taken up the whole album cover!

2. Sia Is From Australia

In case you didn’t know, Sia is Australian. She grew up in Adelaide, moved to London for many years and then went to stay in New York when she was 30. That explains her cute accent!

3. She Starred in ‘Home and Away’

She’s Australian to a T! Sia starred as herself on a 1997 episode of Home and Away. If you watched this Australian drama back in the 90s, little did you know what a mega superstar this blonde lass would become years later!

4. She’s Not as Young As You Think…

She may regularly hide behind wigs, but when Sia occasionally reveals her face, it’s hard to argue against the fact that she looks SO young. Who’d believe the Alive singer was 44-years-old?! Girl, you should be showing off that youthful face more often!

5. Sia is More Than Just a Singer…

She’s also a skilled songwriter and music video director. Song-writing is possibly her strongest passion, she claims – “People call me for the ballads. Apparently that’s where I’ve been pigeonholed. But it’s really interesting and really fun. It’s my favourite part of the job, writing.”

In fact, Sia has written the lyrics to many critically-acclaimed tracks including Pretty Hurts by Beyonce, Perfume by Britney Spears, Sexercise by Kylie Minogue, Cannnonball by Lea Michele, Let Me Love You by Neyo, Radioactive by Rita Ora and finally, Diamonds by Rihanna. Believe it or not, she wrote the lyrics for Diamonds in just 14 minutes! No wonder Beyonce has called her a “genius”…

6. Beyonce Thinks Very Highly of Sia

That’s right folks; even the Queen recognizes Sia’s talents! “Sia is such a genius. The second I heard the song [“Pretty Hurts“] I’m like, I have to sing this song. I don’t care how hard I have to fight for the song, this is my song!” Beyonce said about Sia in 2014.

7. Sia Was Making Music Many Years Before ‘Chandelier’

In the mid-1990s, Sia started a career as a singer in the local Adelaide acid jazz band Crisp. In 1997, when Crisp separated, Sia released her debut studio album titled OnlySee on Flavoured Records in Australia which only sold 1,200 copies. Those numbers don’t matter when you’re set to sell millions in years’ to come. Sia later moved to London and began singing for British duo Zero 7.

8. Sia’s Boyfriend Sadly Died in 1997…

Sia has had quite the rocky past. In 1997, her boyfriend at the time, Dan was killed after being hit by a car in London. Apparently it took poor Sia 6 years to come to terms with his death. “I was pretty fu**ed up after Dan died. I couldn’t really feel anything. I could intellectualize a lot of stuff; that I had a purpose, that I was loved, but I couldn’t actually feel anything.”

Sia found love again later and married director and producer Erik Anders Lang in August 2014. Sadly, she announced her split in December 2016:

“After much soul searching and consideration we have made the decision to separate as a couple. We are, however, dedicated to remaining friends. There will be no further comment.”

9. Sia Battled Drug Addiction…

Sia has admitted that the death of her boyfriend made her self-destruct. The popular celeb battled an addiction with drugs and substance abuse. “We were all devastated, so we got s**t-faced on drugs and special brew. Unfortunately, that bender lasted six years for me.”, she told Sunday Times. Sia’s lyrics for Alive suddenly have a much stronger meaning…

10. Sia Has Been Diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder

In an interview with OK! Magazine she admitted that after being diagnosed with bipolar disorder she got hooked on Xanax, Oxycontin and heavy alcohol usage. “I was a pill-popper” she told the magazine. She sure has thick skin...

11. Sia Once Contemplated Suicide

Sia has admitted that she has previously suffered from depression and had some on going bouts with mental illness. She was so low to the point where almost ended her own life. Sia told the New York Times that she once checked into a cheap hotel and wrote instructions for the hotel manager and her dog walker saying “I’ve killed myself and I don’t want you to have to suffer seeing my dead body.” Thankfully, her friend telephoned her and changed her mind. This encouraged Sia to sign up for a 12 step program for recovery.

12. Sia Believes in Aliens and Mermaids

If you believe in extra-terrestrials and legendary creatures, you’re not alone. You share the same beliefs as Sia! The singing sensation believes in aliens and mermaids. She told Interview Magazine, “I think that it would be unwise of us not to believe that there is life outside of us, intelligent life. And so I do believe in aliens. I have seen the [former] Canadian minister of defense discuss the fact that he knows that the American government is working with five different species of aliens presently. Which is a real fu**ing mind-blower. I want to believe in a way that makes me feel a little bit scared. So then I like to think about dogs because it makes me feel safe. And mermaids. I believe in Daryl Hannah.”

13. Sia Fights For Animal Rights!

Sia doesn’t only believe in aliens and mermaids, but the rights of animals too. In 2010, she appeared with her dog Pantera in a PETA campaign which encouraged people to spay or neuter their pets to help end animal homelessness. In 2015, she also contributed to the song “Free the Animal” to a PETA PSA encouraging people to stop using animals for their skin. We like her even more now.

14. Sia Found Maddie Ziegler Through Social Media!

How did dancing prodigy Maddie Ziegler land the special role in Sia’s music videos? Apparently Sia asked the 13-year-old Dance Moms reality star if she wanted to be in her Chandelier music video over Twitter!

15. Sia is a Bisexual

She may be shy to show her face but she’s not afraid to let the world know about her sexual orientation. Sia has admitted that she is a bisexual. Here she is with her ex-girlfriend.

16. Sia is a Vegan

Did you know Sia was a vegan? Although she’d been a vegetarian for years, the Elastic Heart star recently announced that she’d gone full vegan.

17. Sia Has Graves’ Disease

Sia isn’t ashamed to make her health issues known. The Titanium singer has Graves’ Disease – an autoimmune disease that affects the thyroid, often enlarging it to twice its size and causing problems like muscle weakness, heart palpitations, irritability and lethargy. Sia announced this on Twitter when she had to cancel her concerts and appearances in 2010 due to the illness. #Brave

18. Sia Used to Sing For a Well-Known Artist!

It seems we’ve been hearing Sia’s vocals for longer than you think! Remember Jamiroquai? Sia actually sang backing vocals for them for a few years!

19. Sia Struggles Dealing With Fame

Ever wondered why Sia always hides her face behind wigs? Well the star has admitted that she finds it difficult to deal with fame. Sia told Chris Connelly in 2014, “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,”.

Her face may occasionally be obscured but her past and life experiences certainly aren’t! We’re glad to have finally learnt a little bit more about Sia…

Try Reading: Is Sia The New Lady Gaga?