Sia Discusses “The Horrors Of Fame,” Contemplates Career Switch

Becky Bain | May 18, 2010 12:45 pm

Sia wrote an entire article for The Times Online detailing why she has become so disenchanted with a life of fame, claiming that after she releases her next album We Are Born, she is “going to retrain as a dog masseuse.” Oh, Sia, say it isn’t so!

Okay, many of you might be thinking Sia isn’t even that famous, but it’s all relative when you’re the one who has to deal with the spotlight. Sia (full name Sia Furler) knows she isn’t as well-known as many of the artists she’s worked with (Beck, Christina Aguilera), but is a huge name to the indie music demographic. And sometimes that’s enough fame for one person to handle. Writes the singer:

“I went from being a nobody, to having one or two fans outside the stage door, to maybe 60, screaming and drunk, all wanting autographs, photos of us together and hugs. Some people crave this sort of attention, but for a sensitive person, fame is a recipe for disaster. I love making and performing music, but the social contract around it can be so unhealthy.”

Besides despising media outlets like Perez Hilton who dive into her personal life (she was outed as bisexual by the gossip blogger when she was dating JD Sampson of LeTigre), she also finds it difficult to be around many of her fans. She recounts the time she was stalked by a guy who would sneak backstage to give her presents, and adds that she would often have people pose as fans and give her gifts just so they could snap a photo of her using their product.

The Aussie singer admits that “Sometimes I wish I had an invisibility cloak… you’re expected to be this charismatic character, yet people ask the same questions over and over again, and I have to answer as if I’ve never heard them before. The repetition makes me sick of myself.”

“People aren’t honest about the horrors of fame,” she adds. “The downsides are so overwhelming that, for me, there is no payoff.”

So is she really giving up music to go work with dogs full-time? We doubt it, although the chances of her staying behind the scenes seem high. “Now my dream is to write songs for others, to have a baby, to have a routine,” says Sia.

It may seem hard to sympathize with somebody who is successful and respected in their chosen field, but we do see where Sia is coming from. She wants to perform and make music, but not deal with the full-time job put upon “celebrities” to be available and approachable at all times of the day, sharing their public and personal life with anyone who decides they want a part of it.

In fact, we hope Sia does retrain as a dog masseuse and takes a break—but doesn’t give up music completely. Kelis, you may remember, went to culinary school and had a baby… and then she recorded Flesh Tone, one of the best albums of her career. So Sia, it’s great to take a step back and get a hold back on your non-public life, but for the sake of your fans who don’t stalk or harrass you, please don’t give up on your music career completely. Who else is going to make some of the most fun, clever music videos we’ve ever seen if not you?

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