Alive (Sia song)

"Alive"
Single by Sia
from the album This Is Acting
Released	24 September 2015 (2015-09-24)
Format	Digital download
Recorded	2015
Genre	Electropop soul
Length	4:23
Label	Inertia Monkey Puzzle RCA
Writer(s)	Sia Adele Tobias Jesso Jr.
Producer(s)	Jesse Shatkin[1]
Sia singles chronology
"Fire Meet Gasoline" (2015) "Alive" (2015) "Bang My Head" (2015)

"Alive" is the lead single from Australian singer and songwriter Sia's seventh studio album This Is Acting (2016). It was co-written by Sia, Adele, and Tobias Jesso Jr.^[2]

Background

In September 2015, Sia confirmed that This Is Acting's lead single "Alive" would be released later that month and was originally written for Adele. She described that the song "was about Adele's life" and "written in Adele's perspective". She further explained to Ryan Seacrest that the song was written in a writing session with Adele for her third album 25, but was rejected at the last minute.^[3][4] Rihanna also rejected the tune.^[5]

Release

On September 22, 2015, Sia posted a tweet on Twitter which hints that the single would be released on September 25.^[6] A 15-second preview was uploaded to Sia's Vevo channel on September 23 and the release date was made 1 day earlier to September 24. Sia further updated on her Twitter that it would be released on the morning of September 24. The single was premiered on Snapchat at about 7 a.m. and released to other services soon after.

Composition

"Alive" is written in the key of F♯ minor with a tempo of 100 beats per minute. The song follows a chord progression of F♯m–C♯m–D–F♯m–C♯m–D–Bsus2, and Sia's vocals span from F♯₃ to E₅.^[7]

Reception

Rolling Stone critic Jon Blistein described Furler's vocals as "devastating, electrifying," and wrote, "while the dramatic build of "Alive" sounds straight out of Adele's wheelhouse, the outsized pop production — courtesy of Jesse Shatkin — and the ragged, throat-cracking, enrapturing vocal run Sia embarks on at the end are quintessentially her."^[8] "Alive" also came in at #56 on the annual Triple J Hottest 100 for 2015.^[9]

Commercial performance

On the Billboard Hot 100, the song debuted at number 56 and selling 54,000 copies in its first week. In Australia, the song debuted at number ten and has been certified Platinum by the Australian Recording Industry Association.

Live performances

• November 7, 2015 – Saturday Night Live
• December 1, 2015 – The Ellen DeGeneres Show and The Voice
• December 6, 2015 – The X Factor
• December 9, 2015 – C à vous (France 5)
• December 11, 2015 - C'Cauet (NRJ)
• December 11, 2015 - The Graham Norton Show
• December 31, 2015 - TFI Friday

Track listing

Digital download

1. "Alive" – 4:23

Remixes

1. "Alive" (Plastic Plates Remix) – 4:58
2. "Alive" (Maya Jane Coles Remix) – 5:07
3. "Alive" (AFSHeeN Remix) – 3:16
4. "Alive" (Boehm Remix) – 3:50
5. "Alive" (Cahill Remix) – 4:18

Other Versions

• Cahill Club Mix – 6:21
• Cahill Club Edit – 4:17
• Cahill Radio Edit – 3:14

Music video

The music video for the song directed by Sia and Daniel Askill was released on 5 November 2015. It stars child karate star Mahiro Takano. The music video was filmed in Japan.^[10]

A lyric video has been uploaded on October 20, 2015 on Sia's Vevo channel. The video features a black-and-white background, with female figures without their faces shown. Sia wore a black-and-white wig and the lyrics of the song were written on the walls.

Charts

Certifications

Region	Certification	Sales/shipments
Australia (ARIA)[37]	Platinum	70,000^
Italy (FIMI)[38]	Gold	25,000
*sales figures based on certification alone ^shipments figures based on certification alone xunspecified figures based on certification alone

References