Adele offered a million dollars for it. Rihanna bought it at some point, until Sia decided to reclaim it— there’s a reason Sia’s single Alive is so valuable.
The song demands the attention of the listener from the start:
“I was born in a thunderstorm/ I grew up overnight.”
Alive carries an air of anger; it’s chilling but paradoxically calm… Sia’s rough, labored voice (a trait which I typically dislike— no hard feelings, Enrique Iglesias) carries through disruptions in instrumental background for some intervals, and this has the effect of waking up the listener; of saying pay attention; this is important; this is real.
The expectant beep of a medical machine alludes specifically to Sia’s struggles with bipolar disorder and a dark childhood/adolescence.
Sia’s iconic crisp enunciation is anything but sterile in this song— on the contrary, it’s saturated with emotion.
Punchy lyrics, instead of just a catchy measure, are what lingered long after the song was over.
Although most of Sia’s songs portray struggle and this is surely analogous to her usual style, Alive has a poignant sense of resolution. It’s a grounded, reverent celebration of survival. This piece is more than another top 40 song— it’s art by definition; even if it’s not relatable word for word, art is activism in a form that jumps at you, even if it’s disturbing. The purpose is to intitate thought and spread awareness.
The song is a single from This is Acting, which will be released Jan. 29.