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Sia graces SNL with two intense live performances

Sia returned to global television sets over the weekend, with a highly anticipated appearance on Saturday Night Live, hosted by the presidency candidate, and certainly one of SNL’s most controversial hosts ever, Donald Trump. The upraor surrounding Trump led this particular episode to get the highest views SNL has had in four years, so it’s safe to say that a lot of people have just been reintroduced to the Australian artist, too.

Sia performed her two latest singles Alive and Bird Set Free with a lone dancer beside her. In true Sia-fashion, the dancer told the stories behind the lyrics with a powerful routine. In the meantime Sia sang with pitch-perfect vocals and a stage presence any artist would envy.

In short, she was phenomenal.

Following the recent release of its music video, Alive was the first song performed. The dancer wore a karate uniform, so we could assume it would be similar to the choreography. The camera angles and focus on Sia made it difficult to follow her, but, from what we saw and of course hear, it was a powerful performance. Sia also had several back-up singers accompanying her, collectively raising the roof off of the studio – not that Sia needed them, exactly, what with her powerhouse voice a demanding presence in itself.

The second performance of the night of her latest release Bird Set Free, had the same simple set up, minus the backup singers, with the singer on stage in a black sheet, standing next to her dancer. As Sia’s voice rose to sing the chorus, the dancer fell to the floor in a kicking, shaking fit. As the song went on and Sia continued to impress, we found it was impossible to look away.

Sia’s new album This Is Acting will be released on January 29th.