'Elastic Heart' presents us with a dark battle of inner demons whilst remaining upbeat and enjoyable- Sia pulls it off well.
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‘Elastic Heart’ is the latest release from Sia, the Australian singer who brought us ‘Chandelier’ last year. The singles are both from Sia’s latest album 1000 Forms of Fear. The album has been described by Shia LeBoeuf (who stars alongside Maddie Zeigler in the ‘Elastic Heart’ video) as a ‘diary,’ promoting Sia’s art as a form of catharsis.
‘Elastic Heart’ certainly exhibits the cathartic nature of art, as its lyrics tell a story of overcoming wars and “fighting for peace” with the self. To step away from the raw emotion of Sia’s lyrics is to find ‘Elastic Heart’ as a song that fits quite neatly into the pop genre in which it has found itself due to the popularity launched with ‘Chandelier.’
The track radiates an upbeat electronic foundation and a catchy refrain that runs as an undercurrent throughout ‘Elastic Heart’, and is elevated by Sia’s distinctly powerful vocals throughout. What Sia does with this song is place the ‘diary’ nature of her album under the guise of a dance song (aided by Sia’s collaboration with The Weeknd and Diplo). The song is far from downbeat despite its topic of warring with inner demons, making it surprisingly optimistic. Perhaps Sia’s darker subject matter necessitates a more upbeat and ‘pop’ take, so it is not all doom and gloom for listeners.
As a follow up to ‘Chandelier’ it falls slightly short of the ‘punch’ that the previous song musically emanates, but ‘Elastic Heart’ posits Sia as one who will continue to impress- particularly if her profoundly artsy videos continue as counterparts to her tracks.
‘Elastic Heart’ is out now via RCA & Republic Records.
