This Story of Hope is about Sia, the reclusive Australian popstar who has overcome mental and physical health struggles as well as addiction to become an award-winning singer and songwriter of smash hits, not just for herself, but also for some of the biggest names in the music industry.
Sia’s also widely known for creating music videos she doesn’t appear in, eccentric wigs that cover her face, and shying away from the celebrity spotlight. It’s no wonder, then, her revelation a few years ago that she has autism was a surprise to many.
At the time of this writing, she hasn’t said much in public about being on the autism spectrum. It’s assumed that her diagnosis happened recently when she was in her late 40s. When we look at her struggles along the road to fame and fortune, there are clues that hint at ASD (autism spectrum disorder) and make us wonder how early diagnosis and intervention with ABA therapy could have helped make her journey a happier one.
Creative but troubled upbringing
According to this article, Sia grew up “surrounded by circus performers, actors, and famous band members.” Her mother worked in the arts and her father is a blues guitarist named Phil Colson. Biography.com says her father was friends with members from the rock band INXS and Men at Work’s lead vocalist Colin Hay, who Sia knew as Uncle Collie. Her real uncle, Kevin Colson, was a Tony-nominated stage actor and television presenter.
With such a childhood, a creative vocation was her destiny despite having social anxiety (a possible sign of autism.) First, she dreamed of becoming an actress. But after her parents split up, separating her from her father, she found solace in music.
Still a teenager, she would sing at a local Australian cafe and was discovered by a member of the band Crisp who was searching for a new lead singer. Her audition immediately won over the band, and she performed with them for four years. It’s reported that she used alcohol for courage to perform in front of live audiences – a habit that turned into dependency by the age of 21.
The band eventually broke up, and she decided to move to London where her boyfriend was. Tragically, he was killed in a car accident before she made it there. She ended up moving anyway at the invitation of her boyfriend’s roommate.
Singing career takes off in London
Rolling Stone Australia reports that a series of open mic night performances in London led to Sia securing a record deal with Sony Music. She said, “That was the beginning of my singing career, like, ‘Oh, people are paying me to do this? Okay, I must be a singer. I literally had no big intentions. I thought actually I was going to be an actor, and I’m very grateful that I’m not because it’s a much harder job.”
Her first single with Sony reached the top 10 on the UK Singles Chart. Her second album didn’t have the same success, and she left Sony Music for the Go! Beat record label. The following year she was named a Breakthrough Artist at the APRA (Australasian Performing Right Association) Awards, and in 2004, a hit from her third album “Breathe Me” became a viral sensation after it was featured in the last scene of the popular HBO TV series “Six Feet Under.”
On the heels of newfound success, Sia began touring and continued making albums for several years, during which she became more and more famous on the world stage and won more and more awards with each new song and album.
Fame and expectations begin taking a toll
Wikipedia describes how Sia became uncomfortable with her growing notoriety and lack of privacy. “She refused to do promos for her tours, began to wear a mask on stage, and became increasingly dependent on drugs and alcohol on the road.” She even considered suicide.
Others report that around this same time she was diagnosed with bipolar disorder, and then Graves’ disease or hyperthyroidism. Eventually, she joined a 12-step program and left the spotlight (for a while) to work as a songwriter instead.
She discovered that she had a special talent where she could write down a single word and quickly create an entire song around it. She’s co-written songs with the likes of
Beyoncé, Kylie Minogue, Flo Rida, and Rihanna that topped charts and sold millions of copies.
A few years later, she released her sixth studio album that debuted at No. 1 on the US Billboard 200 chart. Sia was back, but on her terms. For many performances in music videos and on stage, she would hide her face or have a young dancer be her proxy. Interview magazine quotes her as saying, “I’m trying to have some control over my image. And I’m allowed to maintain some modicum of privacy.”
Music, the film
After having successfully created and directed music videos and lent her voice to movie and television soundtracks, Sia wrote, directed, and created the soundtrack for her film Music. Rolling Stone Australia says she created the film to make viewers truly feel something, likening it to a musical Rain Man.
The movie stars Kate Hudson as a newly sober drug dealer who is left in charge of her teenage half-sister who has non-verbal autism. Sia said the story was inspired by a sign language interpreter that she met at AA meetings who has a son with autism. While the film was nominated for two Golden Globe Awards in 2021, it received negative reviews from some in the autism community because of not casting an actor with autism in the role of the half-sister and for depicting a scene where the character is restrained.
Sia apologized directly on social media, addressing her critics, and removed the controversial scene from the movie, despite having showed the film before its release to the Child Mind Institute of New York, a prominent independent nonprofit in children’s mental health, including providing autism care and advocacy.
On being diagnosed with autism
Two years after her film Music was released, Sia announced on a podcast that she had been diagnosed with autism herself. She said, “I’ve felt like for 45 years, I was like, ‘I’ve got to go put my human suit on’. And only in the last two years have I become fully myself.”
A clinical psychologist and lecturer quoted in an article on Psychiatrist.com says Sia’s behavior tracks with a phenomenon known as autism masking. The doctor goes on to say, “Pretending to be ‘human,’ or some people say ‘normal’ and to ‘fit in’ is exactly what autistic masking is. It’s a strategy to fit in with the neurotypical world, usually to avoid experiencing bullying and stigma associated with being autistic.”
The psychologist added that it’s a good thing Sia is speaking out about her experiences. It will help educate people about neurodiversity so people with autism feel less pressured to conform. Therapy, unmasking in safe situations, and seeking out autism-friendly environments can help ease the burden, too.
We couldn’t agree more and look forward to Sia continuing to talk about her autism journey. Her tremendous creative talent paired with her personal experiences can help children and families around the world with her story of hope.
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