Sia’s Pop Reign Continues with “Diamonds”

By Dee Lockett

In just two short years, Australian singer-songwriter Sia Furler (known simply as Sia) has turned the pop world into her personal playground. From Christina Aguilera to Flo Rida to David Guetta, Sia leaves her calling card on nearly every pop heavyweight imaginable by contributing both her vocal and writing talent. Her latest collaboration may just be her biggest to date: Rihanna.

“Diamonds” is signature Sia with both grandeur imagery and thematic elements (“You’re a shooting star I see/A vision of ecstasy when you hold me/I’m alive, we’re like diamonds in the sky”) and, of course, a killer hook (“Shine bright like a diamond”). Produced by frequent collaborators Norwegian duo Stargate (“S&M,” “What’s My Name”) and Katy Perry-favorite, Benny Blanco, it doesn’t pack quite the punch Rihanna’s navy has come to expect from the Bajan beauty.

The track’s slow tempo and understated lyrics make for an eyesore in Rihanna’s current body of work. It’s subtle — everything Rihanna is not (just look at the single’s artwork). But, as promised, the first single off her upcoming seventh album is a bit of a departure from her previous work (minus “Drunk On Love”). She describes the song as “happy and hippie” — a relaxed smoker’s anthem, perhaps? It’s a more mature release from the 24-year-old, a credit to Sia’s touch.

And yet, in terms of hit potential, it shines more like tarnished silver.