You’ve heard it. That raw, gravelly crack in the voice during the chorus. It’s the kind of sound that makes you want to either drive too fast or cry in a bathtub. But for a long time, people didn't actually know who was behind it. If you’re wondering who sings Chandelier, the answer is Sia Furler—the Australian powerhouse known simply as Sia.
It’s a weird thing to think about now. Sia is a household name, but back in 2014, she was basically the music industry's best-kept secret. She was the person "cool" people knew, the songwriter your favorite pop stars called when they needed a hit, but not necessarily a "star" herself. Then "Chandelier" dropped, and everything broke wide open.
The Mystery Behind the Wig
So, why was there confusion about who sings Chandelier in the first place? Honestly, it was a marketing masterstroke born out of genuine anxiety. Sia didn't want to be famous. After a brush with the dark side of celebrity—think addiction, health issues, and the crushing weight of public scrutiny—she decided she’d had enough of being the face of her music.
She started wearing that oversized platinum blonde wig. She performed with her back to the audience. In the music video for "Chandelier," she wasn't even there. Instead, we got Maddie Ziegler, a then-11-year-old dancer from Dance Moms, performing a chaotic, beautiful routine in a dusty apartment.
It was brilliant.
Because Sia hid her face, the focus stayed entirely on the vocal performance. And what a performance it was. That high note? The one on the word "Chandelier"? It’s a B4, but it’s the way she hits it—straining, almost breaking—that gives it that emotional gut-punch.
It Wasn’t Supposed to Be Her Song
Here is a bit of industry tea: Sia actually wrote "Chandelier" with the intention of giving it to someone else. She was the "hitmaker for hire" at the time. She had already penned "Diamonds" for Rihanna and "Titanium" for David Guetta.
She sat down with Jesse Shatkin, her co-writer and producer, and they banged out the melody in about four minutes. Initially, she thought it might fit Katy Perry or maybe Rihanna. But as the demo took shape, Sia realized the lyrics were too personal to hand over.
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The song isn't actually about partying. Well, it is, but not in the way "California Gurls" is. It’s a dark, sobering look at "party girl" culture and the escapism of alcoholism. Sia has been very open about her struggles with sobriety. Singing "1, 2, 3, 1, 2, 3, drink" isn't a celebration; it's a countdown to numbness.
The Vocal Style That Ruined Radio (In a Good Way)
When you listen to who sings Chandelier, you notice the "Sia-isms." She has this specific way of slurring her words—some call it "singing in cursive"—and an incredible ability to flip into a head voice that feels incredibly fragile.
- She uses "vocal fry" to create texture.
- The cracks in her voice are intentional emotional cues.
- Her Australian accent peeks through in certain vowels.
Before "Chandelier," pop radio was very polished. Very Auto-Tuned. Very perfect. Sia brought back the "ugly" vocal—the kind of singing where you can hear the spit and the strain. It paved the way for artists like Halsey and Olivia Rodrigo to embrace a more unvarnished sound.
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The Impact of the Video
We can't talk about who sings Chandelier without talking about the visual that defined it. Ryan Heffington’s choreography was unlike anything on MTV (or Vevo) at the time. It wasn't "pretty" dancing. It was twitchy. It was frantic. It looked like someone having a breakdown in a nude leotard.
Maddie Ziegler became the avatar for Sia. For years, if you saw a blonde bob, you thought of "Chandelier." It turned a song into a brand. It also sparked a massive debate about the ethics of using a child performer to represent the trauma of an adult artist, a nuance that Sia herself has addressed in several interviews, admitting that she felt a protective, yet complicated, maternal bond with Maddie.
Why It Still Hits Today
Most pop songs have the shelf life of an open carton of milk. They’re catchy for three weeks and then they vanish into the "Throwback Thursday" abyss. "Chandelier" is different.
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Maybe it’s because the song doesn’t try to be cool. It’s desperate. It’s loud. It’s the sound of someone hanging onto the ceiling because the floor is too terrifying to stand on. When people search for who sings Chandelier, they aren't just looking for a name to put on a trivia card; they're looking for the soul behind that massive sound.
Sia has gone on to do many other things—directing movies, releasing Christmas albums, and continuing to write for the biggest names in the world. But for many, she will always be the woman behind the wig who redefined what a pop powerhouse looks like in the 21st century.
How to Appreciate the Song Even More
If you want to truly "get" Sia's talent, don't just stick to the studio version of "Chandelier." Go find the live acoustic performances. There’s one she did on the The Ellen DeGeneres Show where she sings facing a wall while a dancer performs. Hearing that voice without the heavy production of the radio edit is a religious experience.
- Listen for the "cracks": In the bridge, Sia lets her voice break on purpose. It’s called a "glottal attack."
- Check the lyrics: Read them without the music. It’s actually a pretty bleak poem about the "morning after" shame.
- Watch the evolution: Compare "Chandelier" to her earlier work like "Breathe Me." You can hear the evolution from indie-darling to global-titan.
Understanding the history of who sings Chandelier gives the track a whole new layer of meaning. It’s not just a song; it’s a survivor’s anthem wrapped in a 4-chord pop structure.
Next Steps for Your Playlist
To get the full Sia experience beyond just her most famous hit, you should dive into her deeper catalog. Start with her album 1000 Forms of Fear, then work backward to Some People Have Real Problems. If you want to see her influence on other artists, look up the songs she wrote for others—you’ll start hearing her "voice" everywhere, from Beyoncé’s "Pretty Hurts" to Britney Spears’ "Perfume."