Sia Furler Life Biography Facts 

Please upgrade your browser for the best Refinery29 experience. Read more.

You have chosen to receive our #NAMED_LISTS# newsletters at #EMAIL_ADDRESS#. You will receive an e-mail shortly confirming your subscription. So excited to have you!

Saved! Access Favorites in your account profile.

She’s been called “inscrutable,” “enigmatic,” and “grandly idiosyncratic.” Sia Kate Isobelle Furler doesn’t really see herself as any of those grandiose synonyms, all of which basically equate to “unknowable by the general public in the intimate way we want to think we know celebrities." The singer-songwriter has a very good reason for being fame-averse and “socially phobic.”

Being in the public eye and going on tour pushed her to the brink of suicide in 2010. For Sia, having a private life is an absolute necessity for her mental health. It’s what allows her to continue to write megahit pop songs for herself and other artists.

In the past, Sia’s unwillingness to tour earned her the reputation of being difficult. (She’ll throw out a series of “ludicrous” demands to avoid a tour even coming to fruition, swearing it’s for her emotional well-being.) Now that she’s opened up about her personal struggles with addiction and mental illness — and proven she’s one of the most talented singer-songwriters of the past decade — Sia has more than earned the ability to hide her face in whatever cheeky manner she wants. She’s also entitled to shun publicity. Really: It’s in her record contract.

. The album is composed of songs she originally wrote with other artists in mind, but they passed on. The first two tracks, “Bird Set Free” and “Alive,” were written for Adele’s

. “Cheap Thrills,” track six, was intended for Rihanna. “Footprints,” track nine, was meant for Beyoncé. The intended recipient of “Unstoppable,” which Sia released on January 20, hasn’t been specified, but the powerful lyrics will surely earn it a spot on your pump-up playlist.

so inscrutable, though, you might not know that much about the woman underneath the blonde bob. In honor of

’s release, we rounded up some lesser-known facts about the extremely talented star from down under.

Sia’s uncle, Colin Hay (not her uncle by blood, but she refers to him as “Uncle Collie”) fronted the \'80s band, Men at Work, whose songs, “Down Under” and “Who Can It Be Now?” were hits.

Sia’s singing career began in Australia, where she was part of the acid-jazz band Crisp. She also released her first solo studio album in Australia.

, which sold 1,200 copies, came out in 1997 on Flavoured Records. When Crisp broke up in 1997, Sia moved to London.

After moving to London in 1997, Sia met British trip-hop duo Zero 7. She sang on three of their albums and went on tour with them.

“resuscitated my truly dying career.” Her song “Breathe Me” plays over a montage showing how all of the main characters die in the show’s 2005 series finale, and it exploded from there.

Fashion\'s Coolest Kids Just Launched A Makeup Line

Your First Look At Kendall + Kylie’s Debut Collection