Single Review: Sia – ‘You’re Never Fully Dressed Without A Smile’
2 min read
Sia Furler says she must have watched the original Annie motion picture 150 times. She raves about the musical, calling it her all time fave, so it’s unsurprising that she would feature on the upcoming remake’s soundtrack with the new single You’re Never Fully Dressed Without A Smile.
Injecting her own brand of cover, Sia completely wraps herself around every aspect of this original song, distorting it in all sorts of weirdly fun directions and leaving just enough alone to stay familiar. The arrangement is light and uplifting, Sia’s lead vocal performance unique and current, while the backing vocals bring the song hurtling into 2014. With brand new lyrics and Sia’s genius, quirky touches, it’s hard not to like it.
You’re Never Fully Dressed Without A Smile may prove to get on my nerves after a few more plays but I can’t deny the novelty of it is so much fun, seemingly cut from the same cloth as Bruno Mars’ Marry You or Natasha Bedingfield’s Unwritten. There are even hints of Regina Spektor type oddity, and enough room for the catchy melody to settle over you and get stuck in your head. Sure there’s a cheesy element to the song that wouldn’t be out of place on an episode of Glee, but Sia brings enough credibility to it to stop it just before it’s too much. This woman is truly one of the most exciting artists around right now and I can’t wait to hear the other songs Sia will contribute to the soundtrack – Opportunity and Moonquake Lake alongside Beck. If the movie makers can do with Annie what Sia has done with You’re Never Fully Dressed Without A Smile, the upcoming feature film should impress.
