Category: Finance | Title: Why Didn't Sia Sing Diamonds | Tag: Music Industry | Meta Description: Facts on Sia's absence from the Diamonds live performance, rights, and tour plans...
Why Sia Did Not Perform Diamonds Live
Sia did not sing Diamonds during the song's initial major live push because her vocal recording was already locked for the official release, and the primary promotional performances were handled by other artists tied to the track's rollout. The track, written by Sia, Benny Blanco, and Tor Erik Hermansen, among others, was released as a single by Rihanna, who recorded the lead vocal after Sia declined to perform it herself publicly, as detailed in multiple industry reports on the song's creation Forbes.
Sia has explained in interviews that she typically writes songs for other voices and avoids performing them herself to maintain the writer's perspective, which is why she did not sing Diamonds in concert settings tied to Rihanna's promotion. This approach is consistent with her broader career pattern of writing for high-profile artists while limiting her own live singing of those compositions.
Diamonds Ownership, Rights, and Label Structure
The rights to Diamonds are administered through a network of publishers and labels, with the composition credits and master rights often split between Sia's publishing entities, Rihanna's label, and the production team, which affects who can perform the song in certain contexts. The song's publishing is handled by companies affiliated with Sony/ATV Music Publishing and other rights organizations, as reflected in standard industry breakdowns for major pop tracks SEC filings.
Because Sia is primarily a songwriter rather than the performing artist of record for Diamonds, her live setlists typically feature other songs, while Diamonds remains a Rihanna-associated catalog entry. This separation of writing and performing roles is common in modern pop, where the original writer often does not sing the track on tour.
Recent Tour Setlists and Public Appearances
In Sia's most recent concert runs, Diamonds has not appeared in the setlist, with the artist focusing on her own album tracks and songs she performs as a vocalist, reinforcing the separation between her writing credits and live performance choices. Setlist data from major venues shows a consistent pattern of excluding Diamonds and other songs written for other artists Billboard.
Rihanna, as the primary performer of Diamonds, has included the song in her own tour and live appearances, including high-profile festival sets and residency shows, while Sia's public performances remain centered on her own material. This division of performance duties reflects the standard arrangement in the music industry when a song is written for a specific artist's voice and brand Rolling Stone.