| MONDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 2016 | THE STRAITS TIMES | ● life D9 Sia salvages

rejected songs Singer Sia (above), who often hides her face (left) to preserve her anonymity, returns to dark in new album territory on her latest album by exploring abusive relationships. PHOTOS: NEW YORK TIMES, AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE

Australian singer- NEW YORK • For her first album Sia similarly appears to channel since her breakthrough hit Beyonce on the more inspirational songwriter’s Chandelier, Sia is facing off on the Footprints, a string-backed, charts against superstars Adele mid-tempo pop song that uses seventh album, This and Rihanna. And they are likely subtle spiritual imagery to Is Acting, features familiar with some of the songs – describe salvation either by a they were written for them. partner or God. compositions she This Is Acting, the seventh album A more conventional pop ballad, by the Australian singer known Reaper, was co-produced by rap had written for both for her distinctively soaring star Kanye West. stars such as Adele voice and her face-covering Sia wrote Reaper and Cheap black-and-white wig, consists of Thrills for Rihanna, who released and Rihanna tunes that she wrote, offered to her long-awaited album, Anti, last other artists and, after deals fell Wednesday. But the R&B superstar, through, salvaged. whose new album focuses on For her, the album is a multi- inward-looking ballads, rejected dimensional paradox. She is inter- them. preting her own songs, ones that Even giddier is Move Your Body, are often highly personal. But they a club dance track Sia wrote for were intended to come from the Shakira. hearts of others. The 40-year-old, whose real The album’s first single, Alive, name is Sia Furler, had her start in was meant for Adele’s blockbuster the jazz scene of Adelaide and album 25. remains more of an indie singer. It matches the mood of 25, as Sia But she has become a major – playing the role of Adele – remi- writer for pop stars, notably nisces about her childhood and her composing Rihanna’s 2012 world- She returns to dark territory on tunewhenshe wroteone. survival into adulthood to a tune wide hit Diamonds. the latest album by exploring “It really seems like the general that opens with rich, dark piano Sia, who keeps her face hidden to abusive relationships. public responds well to songs about chords before a rapid climax. preserve her anonymity, has strug- House On Fire is a metaphor for salvation or overcoming some- Sia, speaking to Apple Music’s gled with addiction, a battle that personal chaos. thing, or that everything’s going to Beats 1 radio, said she was surprised figured prominently on her last The similarly bleak Bird Set Free be okay, or that things are fun,” she Adele did not want Alive. album, 1000 Forms Of Fear, which was written for Adele, who did not said. “I thought this one was such a came out in 2014. The album’s hit, find it suitable. “I think that my skill is more smash, but she just wasn’t feeling Chandelier, an electropop ballad of Speaking to Rolling Stone maga- upbeat curating, as in choosing the it,” she told host Zane Lowe, who a party girl’s alcohol-fuelled self- zine, Sia said she thought most of her right tracks and then sort of trying described the album as playing destruction, was nominated for songs for pop stars were “terribly, to understand the will or nature of “fantasy football with the world’s Grammys for Song of the Year and terribly cheesy”. But she acknow- popular culture.” pop stars”. Record of the Year. ledged that she knew a successful AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE

SSO’s anniversary Glittery welcome for Chinese New Year concert was conducted by Darrell Ang (left) and featured REVIEW / CONCERT ZingO Festival Drum Group. jazz combo. pianist Melvyn Its synchronised drumming in TV Golden Medley (arranged by Tan (standing). RHAPSODIESOF SPRING 2016 Soar and Xu Chang Jun’s Dragon Law Wai Lun) revived melodies PHOTO: SSO Singapore Chinese Orchestra Dance was an impressive show of such as Striving (from local televi- TheStar Theatre precision and togetherness. sion serial The Awakening), Good Last Saturday The first half was otherwise the Morning, Sir! and Kopi O. Marcus Chin show. He had four Suona principal Jin Shi Yi had a Chang Tou Liang costume changes and enthralled the field day with his assorted reeds in aunties with his crooning in the the Taiwanese song Tian Hei Hei, Nostalgic Song Medley (arranged by alternating between jazzy riffs and Rhapsodies Of Spring is the Singa- Tan Kah Yong) and Mix Match Song Donald Duck imitations. Not to be poreChineseOrchestra’swayofcele- Medley (Phang Kok Jun). He does outdone was Han Lei on guanzi in brating Chinese New Year in concert, not have an operatic voice for songs Beijing jazz pianist Kong Hong Wei's and, for the first time, it was per- such as Man Chang Fei, Azaleas Summer Palace, with a stirring formedinTheStarTheatre. Bloom, Yue Qin and The Traveller displaythatbroughton loudcheers. As with previous editions, the con- With A Bamboo Pole, but his tenor The two-hour concert concluded cert took on the form of a variety comfortably scaled the heights with by bidding farewell to the Year of show and was hosted by television lotsofpersonalityandsome dancing. the Goat and ushering in the Year of personality Marcus Chin. The Chinese Folksong Medley the Monkey. He and conductor Yeh Tsung curiously included a Russian song, Wang Li Ping’s Shepherd Song displayed good chemistry in their Under The Shimmering Moonlight gave way to Xu Jing Qing’s Gan Wen playful banter in Mandarin, peppered (but sung in Mandarin) and Lu Zai He Fang from Journey To The with a few English phrases. There concluded with Radiant With Joy, West, which saw Chin imitating the were no skits from radio personalities rendered in an authentic Sichuan moves of the Monkey God. Joined by Bold and spirited SSO concert this year, but more music, which accent. four women dancers, the glittery began with Li Huan Zhi’s Spring Then the concert took on the feel ensemble got the audience singing FestivalOverture. of an episode from variety show and clapping along to Sim Boon featuring home-grown talent This familiar work was accompa- Saturday Night Live. With the lights Yew’sSpringSuiteVI. nied by visuals of the orchestra pro- dimmed, the main orchestra HavetherebeenthatmanyChinese jected on a giant screen behind the dispersed, leaving behind the New Year songs in circulation? The stage and was soon overtaken by 16-strong SCO Pop Ensemble, Singapore Chinese Orchestra under the entrance of the nine-member which resembled and played like a Yehhasplayedthemall.

REVIEW / CONCERT Since his time as the orchestra's the soloist lent to the irrepressible young associate conductor, Darrell final movement, consistently SSO 37TH ANNIVERSARY CONCERT: Ang has led the orchestra as guest outplaying the piano and the rest EIN HELDENLEBEN conductor with considerable of the orchestra. Singapore Symphony Orchestra, success. His focus and control The tone poem Ein Heldenleben throughout the opening work were (A Hero’s Life) by Richard Strauss is Darrell Ang – conductor, sharp and confident, and the a work that places huge demands on Melvyn Tan – piano orchestra responded well to his the conductor, with solo passages Esplanade Concert Hall direction. for principal violin that call for musi- Last Friday Pianist Melvyn Tan’s interpreta- cianship of the highest level. tions of Mozart on fortepiano, the Concertmaster Igor Yuzefovich’s Mervin Beng precursor to the modern grand piano, solos depicting the hero’s female are world renowned. Performing companion were exceptional – Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 22 on a expressiveandbeautifullyphrased. The inclusion of 19-year-old Juilliard modern concert grand piano, he Scored for eight horns, two tubas School junior year composition retained all the wit, sensitivity and and three offstage trumpets, a strong student Koh Cheng Jin’s Horizons character that audiences have come reading of the piece requires much For Orchestra in such a high-profile toloveinhisplaying. care and thought, and Ang had clearly Singapore Symphony Orchestra Many great pianists have per- prepared well for this performance. concert is a bold move and a formed on the Esplanade's Stein- His growing maturity as a conductor welcome signal to other aspiring way, but none have come close to shows and the steadiness with which Singaporeancomposers. producing the unique crispness and hedirectedwasimpressive. The nine-minute work exudes a nimble sound that came from his Through the most demanding sense of adventure, opening with a fingerwork and measured pedalling. passages there was little wavering or chorale for string quartet, joined by He gave each movement of the loss of momentum, although the percussion and orchestra with concerto its own character, and soundtendedtohardenin theloudest increasing intensity. A quiet section there was an overall sense of grace passages. Greater freedom in tempo featuring solo violin follows, which and lightness of being that made it a and attention to orchestral balance gradually grows into a finale that specialperformance. from Ang would have made this brings back the opening theme. The Ang and the SSO provided very performanceevenmorecompelling. work was an impressive debut for able accompaniment, although Daringly programmed and Koh, even if the finale did not fully Tan’s liberties with tempo were featuring a spread of home-grown deliver the exuberantly triumphant occasionally challenging. The musical talent, this year’s SSO anni- and optimistic conclusion that she clarinet section, however, seemed versary concert was a bold, spirited describedinherprogramme note. oblivious to the playfulness that concert to be proud of.