Photo: Courtesy of Sia Music.Musically speaking, everything singer-songwriter Sia Furler touches seems to turn to gold (or, more accurately, double platinum). She penned Rihanna's "Diamonds" in just 14 minutes and David Guetta's "Titanium" in 40. Nearly a decade after her haunting "Breathe Me" rode out the final moments of Six Feet Under, her voice is just as powerful and emotion-laden.
According to a poignant interview in this weekend's New York Times Magazine the woman behind Flo Rida's "Wild Ones" and Angel Haze's "Battle Cry" once found fame to be a burden she couldn't bear. In May 2010, she bought "two of everything" (excluding meth and heroin) from a drug dealer, saving the drugs for a potential overdose. She also reveals that she wrote a suicide letter not long after that moment.
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Furler blames her downward spiral on drug and alcohol abuse, as well as her struggle to deal with being a celebrity. “It’s horrible,” she tells the magazine. “I just wanted to have a private life. Once, as my friend was telling me they had cancer, someone came up and asked, in the middle of the conversation, if they could take a photograph with me. You get me? That’s enough, right?"
She says her behavior became increasingly more erratic around that time. In addition to refusing to do media promos, she insisted that she and her band perform in masks and black costumes to hide their faces. Fortunately, an intervention from a friend and a 12-step program helped steer Furler into the light. She also replaced manager David Enthoven with Jonathan Daniel, who suggested she channel her talent into writing songs for other artists. She was able to articulate thoughts like "Pretty Hurts," but just through others' voices.
Furler's not the first musician to open up about feeling suicidal. Last month, Kid Cudi went on Arsenio Hall to discuss his past struggles. Hopefully, others can draw strength from these brave, soul-baring admissions. For further information and help about thoughts of suicide, we urge you to consult the National Suicide Prevention Hotline (1-800-273-TALK). (New York Times Magazine)