Photo of Sia
Photo: (Kirk Stauffer) · CC BY-SA 3.0

Solo Artist

Sia

Active1993-present
OriginAdelaide, South Australia, Australia
Albums10
Tracks125

Most frequent collaborator: Greg Kurstin  ·  47 tracks

PopElectropopDance-PopArt Pop
93%
Authorship
Artist

Holds writing credit on 116 of 125 tracks

Does Sia write her own songs?

Yes, and she writes for many other stars too. Sia is credited on about 93% of her own catalogue, co-writing nearly every track, usually with producer Greg Kurstin. She wrote 'Chandelier' and 'Cheap Thrills' for herself, and also wrote 'Titanium,' 'Diamonds,' and 'Pretty Hurts' for other artists. She is one of pop's most in-demand songwriters.

By the Numbers

10
Studio Albums
125
Tracks Credited
93%
Self-Written
33
Years Active
97
Collaborators

Authorship Breakdown 116 / 125 self-written

Who wrote the songs?

Across all 125 tracks: how many Sia wrote alone, how many they co-wrote, and how many were written by others. The bracket marks every track they hold any writing credit on.

Sia has a writing credit93%
5%
88%
7%
Sole author6tracks5%
Co-written110tracks88%
Outside writers9tracks7%

Role Fingerprint how they contribute

Lyricist Performer Composer Producer
Sia's roles across the catalogue

Share of all 125 tracks where they are personally credited, by role.

Lyricist (words)93%
Composer (music)93%
Producer2%
Performer94%

Authorship Over Time writing credit per album

Sia's writing credit per album, in release order. Hover any bar for the album.

avg 93%
46%
100%
100%
92%
92%
100%
100%
100%
100%
100%
1997OnlySee
2001Healing Is Difficult
2004Colour the Small One
2008Some People Have Real Problems
2010We Are Born
20141000 Forms of Fear
2016This Is Acting
2017Everyday Is Christmas
2021Music - Songs from and Inspired by the Motion Picture
2024Reasonable Woman
Early · 84% written
Mid · 98% written
Late · 100% written

Authorship by Decade track-weighted

46%
1990s
OnlySee
97%
2000s
Healing Is Difficult, Colour the Small One +1 more
98%
2010s
We Are Born, 1000 Forms of Fear +2 more
100%
2020s
Music - Songs from and Inspired by the Motion Picture, Reasonable Woman

Authorship Spectrum pure performer to complete author

Where Sia sits on the scale from a pure performer (0%, sings songs written by others) to a complete author (100%, writes everything). The bright marker is their catalogue authorship score, plotted against other artists on the site.

Sia
Other artists on the site

Reference artists spread across the scale, closest by genre and era.

Britney Spears32%
NSYNC41%
Michael Jackson51%
Cyndi Lauper60%
Destiny's Child69%
Kesha77%
Pink85%
93%Sia
Pure Performer0%
Songwriter~50%
Complete Author100%

Who Really Wrote the Hits signature songs

Taken for Granted
Healing Is Difficult
Written by Sia, Sia Kate Isobelle Furler
Wrote it
Little Man
Healing Is Difficult
Written by Sia, Sam Frank, Sia Kate Isobelle Furler
Co-wrote
Drink to Get Drunk
Healing Is Difficult
Written by Sia, Sam Frank, Sia Kate Isobelle Furler
Co-wrote
Breathe Me
Colour the Small One
Written by Dan Carey, Sia, Sia Kate Isobelle Furler
Co-wrote
Day Too Soon
Some People Have Real Problems
Written by Sia, Samuel Dixon, Sia Kate Isobelle Furler
Co-wrote
The Girl You Lost to Cocaine
Some People Have Real Problems
Written by Sia, Rob Allum, Phil Marten, Eddie Myer, Sia Kate Isobelle Furler
Co-wrote
Soon We'll Be Found
Some People Have Real Problems
Written by Sia, Rick Nowels, Sia Kate Isobelle Furler
Co-wrote
Chandelier
1000 Forms of Fear
Written by Sia, Jesse Shatkin, Sia Kate Isobelle Furler
Co-wrote
Elastic Heart
1000 Forms of Fear
Written by Sia, Diplo, Andrew Swanson, Sia Kate Isobelle Furler, Thomas Wesley Pentz
Co-wrote
Cheap Thrills
This Is Acting
Written by Sia, Greg Kurstin, Sia Kate Isobelle Furler
Co-wrote
Alive
This Is Acting
Written by Sia, Adele Laurie Blue Adkins, Tobias Jesso Jr., Sia Kate Isobelle Furler
Co-wrote
Snowman
Everyday Is Christmas
Written by Sia, Greg Kurstin, Sia Kate Isobelle Furler
Co-wrote

Discography 10 albums

Covers all 10 studio albums. OnlySee (1997) track listing sourced from MusicBrainz; no per-track writer or producer credits are available anywhere, no Wikipedia article exists for this album and MusicBrainz has bare track titles only.

Collaborator Network who they worked with most

Sia125 tracks
GK47 JH24 JS24 SD16 JF14 SF7

Bubble size = tracks worked on together. GK Greg Kurstin · JH Jimmy Hogarth · JS Jesse Shatkin · SD Samuel Dixon · JF Jesse Flavell · SF Sam Frank

The Writers & Producers Behind Sia 6 key collaborators

GK
Greg Kurstin
Songwriter & Producer
Some People Have Real Problems / We Are Born / 1000 Forms of Fear / This Is Acting47 tracks
JH
Jimmy Hogarth
Producer
Colour the Small One / Some People Have Real Problems24 tracks
JS
Jesse Shatkin
Songwriter & Producer
1000 Forms of Fear / This Is Acting / Music - Songs from and Inspired by the Motion Picture / Reasonable Woman24 tracks
SD
Samuel Dixon
Songwriter
Colour the Small One / Some People Have Real Problems / We Are Born / 1000 Forms of Fear16 tracks
JF
Jesse Flavell
Songwriter & Producer
OnlySee / Healing Is Difficult14 tracks
SF
Sam Frank
Songwriter
Healing Is Difficult7 tracks

The Authorship Story

Data Insight

Sia is a high-authorship artist across her catalog, she co-writes virtually every track on her own albums, even as her primary commercial role became hitmaker-for-hire for other artists. On early albums, writing credits were concentrated between Sia and a small circle of collaborators. On her pop-era records from 1000 Forms of Fear onward, she typically co-writes with producers like Greg Kurstin, Stargate, and Jesse Shatkin. The lyricist score across her catalog is consistently very high; the composer score is somewhat lower, reflecting reliance on outside producers for musical construction while Sia owns the words.

Quick Facts

  • Songwriter for hireWrote 'Titanium' for David Guetta, 'Diamonds' for Rihanna, and 'Pretty Hurts' for Beyoncé
  • This Is ActingHer 2016 album is made of songs she wrote that other artists turned down
  • 1000 Forms of FearHer 2014 album debuted at number one on the Billboard 200, led by 'Chandelier'
  • Grammy nodsNominated for nine Grammy Awards, including four for 'Chandelier'
  • Hidden facePerforms wearing oversized wigs that obscure her face

Creative Fingerprint

A hitmaker who writes for herself and everyone else: Sia is credited on about 93% of her catalogue, co-writing nearly every song, usually with producer Greg Kurstin, while also writing chart-toppers for other stars.

The Story

Sia Kate Isobelle Furler (born December 18, 1975, in Adelaide, South Australia) is an Australian singer, songwriter, and record producer. Beginning her career as a soul and jazz vocalist with the Adelaide group Crisp in the 1990s, she moved to London and later to the United States, where she built a parallel career as one of the most sought-after pop songwriters of her generation. She has written global hits for Rihanna ('Diamonds'), Beyoncé ('Pretty Hurts'), Britney Spears ('Perfume'), and Katy Perry, among many others. Her own recording career gained mainstream traction with 1000 Forms of Fear (2014), which debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 on the strength of the single 'Chandelier'. She has since become widely recognisable for performing with her face obscured, typically by a large platinum-blonde side-swept wig, as a deliberate choice to separate her artistic identity from public celebrity.

Awards & Recognition

Nominated for nine Grammy Awards, including four for 'Chandelier'
1000 Forms of Fear (2014) debuted at number one on the Billboard 200
Wrote global number ones for other artists, including 'Titanium' and 'Diamonds'
One of the most successful and prolific songwriters of her era

Frequently Asked Questions Sia

Does Sia write her own songs?
Yes, and she writes for many other stars too. Sia is credited on about 93% of her own catalogue, co-writing nearly every track, usually with producer Greg Kurstin. She wrote 'Chandelier' and 'Cheap Thrills' for herself, and also wrote 'Titanium,' 'Diamonds,' and 'Pretty Hurts' for other artists. She is one of pop's most in-demand songwriters.
What songs did Sia write for other artists?
Sia wrote or co-wrote 'Titanium' for [David Guetta](/artist/david-guetta/), 'Diamonds' for [Rihanna](/artist/rihanna/), 'Pretty Hurts' for [Beyoncé](/artist/beyonce/), and 'Wild Ones' for Flo Rida, among many others. She often demos the songs herself before other artists record them.
What is This Is Acting about?
This Is Acting (2016) is made up of songs Sia wrote for other pop stars who turned them down. She recorded them herself, which is why the album title references singing other people's rejected material, including 'Cheap Thrills,' originally intended for Rihanna.
Who wrote 'Chandelier'?
'Chandelier,' from 1000 Forms of Fear (2014), was written by Sia and producer Jesse Shatkin. It became her signature song as a performer, earned four Grammy nominations, and its video made a young dancer a star.
Who is Greg Kurstin to Sia?
Greg Kurstin is Sia's most frequent producer and co-writer, working on much of her catalogue. Their partnership shaped her biggest solo hits and many of the songs she wrote for other artists.
How many albums has Sia released?
This catalogue covers her studio albums from OnlySee (1997) through Reasonable Woman (2024), including her commercial breakthrough 1000 Forms of Fear and the concept album This Is Acting.
Why does Sia hide her face?
Since 1000 Forms of Fear, Sia has performed in oversized wigs that cover her face, choosing to stay out of the spotlight and let others, like dancer Maddie Ziegler, front her videos. She focuses attention on the songs rather than her image.
What genre is Sia?
Sia makes pop, electropop, and art pop, known for powerful, cracked-voice choruses on songs like 'Chandelier' and 'Cheap Thrills' that work as both her own hits and templates for other stars.

Sources

Wikipedia: Sia