Australian singer-songwriter Sia Furler has cemented her dominance of the pop music world with her much anticipated album 1000 Forms of Fear debuting at number 1 on the US’ Billboard 200 albums chart.
Although she’s already penned a slew of chart topping hits, this is the Adelaide artist’s first solo number one album, while the album’s first single Chandelier is also making steady progress on the Billboard singles chart, rising three places this week to number 17. It’s Sia’s first ever solo single to chart in the US.
The album’s top ranking is a sign her unconventional marketing campaign has paid off. In her pledge to remain decidedly out of the spotlight, Sia has obscured her face or even employed stunt doubles in every appearance she has made in anticipation of the album’s release.
The singer famously signed a recording deal with RCA Records stipulating she was not required to tour the record or give press interviews to promote it. Since then she’s performed on US television with her back to the audience, appeared on the cover of Billboard magazine with a paper bag over her head and gotten a man to don a blonde wig and make her acceptance speech at last month’s APRA awards.
Meanwhile after seven weeks atop the Billboard singles chart, Mullumbimby MC Iggy Azalea’s single Fancy (featuring Charli XCX) has finally been demoted from its pole position, replaced by Canadian outfit Magic!‘s song Rude.
The last Australian artist whose album debuted at number 1 in the Billboard 200 was Keith Urban, whose record Fuse was released in September 2013.
Watch: Sia feat New York City Gay Men’s Chorus – Chandelier at Trailblazers 2014
http://youtu.be/XSCjodlENWY
Woah, I can't believe this experiment worked. Thank you so much for making my album number 1!
— sia (@Sia) July 16, 2014
