What if I told you that Sia has been making music since 1993? Yup, born down under in Adelaide, Australia, singer-songwriter Sia Kate Isabelle Fuler has finally appeared to break out over here in the United States.

Her downtempo, soul-pop style managed to catch fire with her single “Chandelier” from her sixth studio album, 1000 Forms of Fear.

Although this is not the first thing we’ve heard from this Aussie (i.e. “Titanium” with David Guetta and “Wild Ones” with Flo Rida), it is the first time that most of us have heard her standing alone.

It’s really a shame that her US fame took so long to blow up, what with her new sound and meaningful lyrics, not to mention her sultry voice or the fact that she is indeed a foreigner.

Sia uses her real life experiences to inspire her music without (usually) being blatantly obvious about it. The right listener, however, can pick out the struggles expressed in Sia’s music. The thirty-eight year old singer isn’t afraid to speak on her past, admitting to struggling with drugs and alcohol during a rough time in her life.

Her new album brings about a new, refreshing feel to the radio waves, as most foreign artists seem to do. While “Chandelier” is basically her own upbeat song, the rest of her more somber, downtempo music is certainly something worth listening to.

Her genre of music shares that rare quality that we see with artists like Kimbra, Adele, or Bastille. Sia’s songs weave actual stories, giving fans a look into her personal life through music. She makes you forget that you’re listening to music, pulling listeners into her beautiful, genuine world.

Sia’s music is something different, but it’s good to hear from artists like her. This day in age, it seems like the music department has become very consistent, and in a bad way. Most artists have the same sound, sing about the same things; heck, some even sound like they’re the same person their voices are so similar. And in case it hasn’t been obvious, this is the type of music that I love to hear.

Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have Sia’s first five albums to purchase.