How ‘Cheap Thrills’ worked its way to the top for Sia
Sia has yet another reason to hit the dance floor.
This week, the enigmatic pop star’s Cheap Thrills knocked Drake’s One Dance from the top of Billboard’s Hot 100 singles chart, where it presided at No. 1 for 10 weeks. In doing so, the Australian singer/songwriter notched her first No. 1 on the Hot 100 as an artist. (She last reached the summit in 2012 as co-writer of Diamonds by Rihanna, who passed on Thrills before Sia recorded it.)
Thrills’ late-summer surge doesn’t surprise music industry insiders, who have been tracking the carefree anthem since it made its debut online last December as a teaser track from Sia’s album This Is Acting. After its release as a single in February, featuring Jamaican hitmaker Sean Paul, the song started its 23-week ascent on the Hot 100.
“It was around for a while, but no one really knew what to do with it,” says Billboard co-director of charts Gary Trust, noting that the song reached No. 1 in many European countries before achieving liftoff stateside. “Once radio kicked in at the beginning of summer, it’s flown right up the (Hot 100) chart,” which factors airplay, sales and streams into its rankings. Thrills has so far racked up 532 million YouTube views and 483 million Spotify streams for its solo and remix versions. It also has sold 963,000 downloads, according to Nielsen Music.
Unlike other artists in the top 10 such as Drake and Rihanna, who have done minimal promotion for their singles, Sia has given Thrills an aggressive push, including a video reuniting her with 13year-old Maddie Ziegler. Sia also has played the song at festivals such as Coachella, Boston Calling and Panorama, and on TV through Good Morning America, American Idol and The Voice.
“As much as Sia shies away from the spotlight and doesn’t do many interviews, she’s more than willing to get out there and promote a song like nobody else,” says Jason Lipshutz, deputy editor of digital at Fuse. “The difference this year is that she’s playing festivals and has a big tour coming up,” launching Sept. 29 in Seattle.
But more so than any marketing muscle, Thrills’ greatest assets are its voices. By adding Paul, 43,, Sia taps into the dancehall craze. With only some backup vocals and a short verse, “he brings in a new audience but doesn’t overshadow Sia,” Lipshutz says.
It’s also a refreshing change of pace for Sia, 40, whose solo catalog up until now has been defined by ballads such as Alive, Bird Set Free and Chandelier.
“What we hear from Cheap Thrills is Sia put out a party song and lent her voice to something a little bit frothier,” Lipshutz says. “This song maybe would’ve worked for somebody else, but it’s the perfect curve ball after her heavier anthems. It’s the lighter touch she needed.”