"1000 Forms Of Fear" - Sia [Official Full Album Stream]

Yesterday, Australian singer-songwriter Sia released 1000 Forms of Fear, which is her highly anticipated sixth studio album, and her first in four years.

The cohesion of the album is evident with most of it written by Sia herself, however collaborating with other writers, including album producer Greg Kurstin. Its sound is pop grunge and the strength of Sia's voice reflects this mood perfectly. There is a quality to Sia's voice that has become so distinctive. Her impressive vocal acrobatics are consistent throughout the album and during her live performances. The raspy inflections between her strong belt and upper register are full of angst, but instill hope.

Upon looking at the song titles, one can see that some darker, more taboo topics are explored in this record. Sia writes from personal experiences and it can be said that this album is a form of therapeutic release for the troubled artist.

Sia's vision for this album is quite simple. In an interview with Dazed, she explained that she decided not to show her face in videos and press shots in the campaign for 1000 Forms of Fear, and focus on creating visual art through her videos instead.

I already have a much larger concept for this album and for how I'm going to present it and that was: I don't want to be famous. If Amy Winehouse was a beehive then I guess I'm a blonde bob. I thought 'well if that's my brand, how can I avoid having to use my face to sell something', so my intention was to create a blonde bob brand... Basically I plan to put different people in blonde bobs because the concept now is to create visual art. I know I can sing and I know I can write songs but this is my time to create visual art. Directing all these live performances is really exciting now.

The phenomenon of the 'blonde bob' began in the video clip to the album's lead single "Chandelier." It has also been executed in live performances, each time a different celebrity donning the bob. This song is iconic, and the fact that it opens the album allows the listener the begin their journey with Sia.

All songs from the album play an important part in the journey of facing one's fear, however key songs to note are "Big Girls Cry," "Elastic Heart" (co-produced by Diplo and appears on The Hunger Games: Catching Fire soundtrack,) "Fire Meet Gasoline" and "Cellophane." While these tracks stand out for instrumentation and lyrics, 1000 Forms of Fear is a strong compilation of self-exploration.

This is a successful pop album from Sia and we at Zumic can't wait to see what's in store for the blonde-bobbed artist herself. To keep up to date with the latest in music, news and tour dates, head to Sia's Zumic artist page.

SIA 1000 FORMS OF FEAR TRACKLIST:

1. "Chandelier" - 3:37
2. "Big Girls Cry" - 3:32
3. "Burn the Pages" - 3:16
4. "Eye of the Needle" - 4:10
5. "Hostage" - 2:56
6. "Straight for the Knife" - 3:32
7. "Fair Game" -3:52
8. "Elastic Heart" - 4:18
9. "Free the Animal" - 4:25
10. "Fire Meet Gasoline" - 4:02
11. "Cellophane" - 4:26
12. "Dressed in Black" - 6:41