Monday, February 9, 2015

Red Carpet genius (Grammys 2015)


Forget Beyonce, Taylor and Gaga. Sia and muse Maddie Ziegler totally owned the Red Carpet at last night's Grammy Awards.

I was curious what kind of disguise the fame-averse pop star would show up wearing. It's become Sia's trademark -- the platinum blonde wig, the bag over her head, turning her back to photographers -- and all of it makes the Australian songwriter even more intriguing.

"I don't want to be famous," Sia told Chelsea Handler in a rare appearance. "All my friends that I write pop songs for are super famous, and it really fucked them up. And, like, being hunted, paparazzi-style, doesn't appeal to me."

Her resistance to bask in the spotlight is one of the qualities I admire about Sia. In our media-saturated, fame-obsessed culture, Sia chooses to deal with stardom on her own terms. She's forcing her audience to focus on her music and not all the distractions that go with marketing an album. "I don't wanna go out and sell my soul, my body, my peace of mind," she told NPR last summer.     

At the Grammys, Sia hid in plain sight once again. And with such style. I love the whole look: the black cape, mandarin collar, the skinny slacks, chic black pumps and of course, the signature red lip. Her sidekick, dancer Maddie Ziegler, who starred in the Chandelier and Elastic Heart music videos, looked pretty dapper, too (nice wing tips!).  
    
As for that ridiculously pouffy wig? Love! (But how did she see through that thing?)


Meet Sia Furler, reluctant pop star.