I’ve been watching and listening to Sia’s ‘Chandelier’ over and over and over recently.
It was released 4 years ago in 2014. But it’s only this year that I listened to it properly and watched the official video.
Over and over and over.
Perfection.
It’s such a strong melody and structure.
The production is brilliant.
The drumming is interesting and diverse and clever.
Sia’s voice is mesmerising. The perfection and the imperfection.
The dancer in the official video, an 11 year old Maddie mixes up clumsy (apparent) improvisation with beautifully graceful and skilful moves.
The lyrical story is about the excesses of drinking and drug taking – and the loneliness and desperation this can bring.
The live performances are just as lovely because they mirror the video and allow us to explore precision and imprecision and how important it is to have both in order to make this song special.
And then there’s the weirdness of Sia not facing the camera as she sings and Maddie, aged 11, wearing a full body nude suit.
Perfectly imperfect.
I don’t like things that are too polished and fixed and predictable.
I find that quite boring.
I like unpredictable, adventurous and exciting things with character and story and meaning. I get hungry for this kind of thing and these kinds of people.
I hope it rubs off.
And that I can create something amazing in 15 minutes of my life some day.*
I’ll keep trying.
*It took Sia 4 minutes to pick the chords and the melody, and 15 minutes to write the lyrics.
