Some People Have Real Problems

About

The title of Sia's fourth LP, <i>Some People Have Real Problems</i>, signaled a paradigm shift for the ascendant Australian pop singer. Her previous two album, <i>Healing Is Difficult</i> and <i>Colour the Small One</i>, dug deep into the recesses of her soul, mining emotional trauma for the sake of art and catharsi. But she was long overdue for an upswing, so humor crept into her lyric, more upbeat arrangements framed her soulful vocal, and even a left-of-center visual style began peeking through. Sia officially left English downtempo group Zero 7 to focus on her solo career, and following the success of her 2004 single “Breathe Me,” she crossed the Atlantic and soaked up the California sunshine. <i>Some People Have Real Problems</i> arrived in January 2008, still filled with her signature, biting storytelling, but also tapped into the romantic pop balladry that made stars of contemporaries like Adele and Amy Winehouse. It was Sia's first album to chart in the United States due to the popularity of the track “The Girl You Lost to Cocaine.” The song's peppy marching-band arrangements contrasted sharply with the tale of a woman who abandons her drug-addled lover, choosing her happiness over becoming his next fix. .

via Apple Music

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