Sia - Diamonds - Very first recording of Diamonds. Early attempt at creating the melody.

This is a very early, raw recording of Sia working out the melody for Diamonds. I believe its her very first attempt at creating the melody for Diamonds and its definitely the first recording of Diamonds.
Its a quick and dirty cassette recording of Sia singing into a recorder. That's why the sound quality is bad.
But I find it very easy to overlook the poor quality, knowing how rare it is to hear such an early form of a song from such a great singer/song writer.
Later sold to Rihanna.

[@veryawful861]

Any singer who isn’t using the jibberish technique to write songs is seriously holding themselves back.

[@nellyioannidou5612]

Trueee

[@superash4u578]

I always do this ❤❤❤❤ @dreamkeepah ig

[@ieradossantos]

Bullshit, do what works and feels good for you

[@liv-qz4cx]

TERRIBLY STRANGE taylor swift does it too

[@GoldrigoGenial]

Charlie Puth wrote all of his second album like that

[@mathijskoopman6883]

For the people who are laughing at this. She leterally wrote this song in 10 minutes and send it to Rihanna and it became a HUGE hit. So it’s working for sure.

[@user-rv7ge1tc4l]

almost every musician writes their songs like that, nothing to joke about

[@oikawatooru2060]

@@user-rv7ge1tc4l not all, lol.

[@jeanomarcayda3896]

So she got 8 minutes for the lyrics? AMAZING

[@user-rv7ge1tc4l]

@@oikawatooru2060 at least I, and other musicians i know do.

[@b.e.s.5107]

HHAHAHA MATHIJS

[@GyanAddict]

For those people laughing on this clip: Your favourite singers spend hours doing Da Ba Di Bi, and then call Sia for help.

[@MrStrife99]

LMAO!

[@ChristineSchat]

+Abhishek Biswas YES

[@michellethomas5893]

signed in just so I could like

[@neptunevinyl]

Well said! Its absolutely the truth.

[@abrf]

So tottally agree with you! Sia is the best!!!

[@DeBlauweOlifant]

Simlish version

[@birdiewolf3497]

Underrated comment

[@edumb8196]

LMAOOO

[@whosthatchick5150]

Lets Mash It Up! This made me😂😂😂😂 you're soo right👏🏼🙌🏼

[@iTsKimmyBlanco]

😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

[@igorhenrique738]

Lets Mash It Up! Lmaooo

[@ihaveacar]

Sia is one of those songwriters who doesn't write songs. They just come to her from the universe.

[@fabiogermanotto5465]

yeah, 100% I think its also the fact that she really isnt afraid of saying something "stupid" like most songwriter think they gotta come out with a brilliant line right away, and I think if you channel the music, eventually it will come to you.

[@cs6078]

agree

[@SofySurvey]

Fabio Germanotto yeah exactly

[@EdenJumanji]

Weedz420 completely agree

[@jxcob3497]

Most of her songs that got rejected by other artists ended up into her own albums and it was worth it

[@thatblondebtch5141]

Anyone with a brain understands how beautiful this is.

[@Casper-fl1wy]

I would suggest that that is everyone 🤷‍♂️

[@lumi2798]

@@Casper-fl1wy that's the point dummy

[@Casper-fl1wy]

@@lumi2798 very much aware of that. It was an example of sarcasm. I'm glad your own mind connected the dots though. Well done 👏

[@MyAccount217]

@@lumi2798 thats not the point lol

[@kottonkandy0962]

I seriously have no idea what this comment is supposed to mean

[@donniemurray1]

Many are confused as to why she's not making sense. This is what being a musical genius is. She grabs a couple words that make the basis of the song and she's improvising perfectly to get a full sense of what the original will be along the lines of. This is pure talent.

[@TheMurrmursonbottle]

gagaswigs oof but i bet if they said it about gaga you’d be shouting praises

[@Janae2000]

gagaswigs he’s trying to explain why she’s doing it. Not just saying she’s a genius.

[@TheMurrmursonbottle]

Janet M. Garcia they actually did say musical genius

[@Janae2000]

TheMurrmursonbottle yeah.. I’m aware?... I said not JUST she’s a genius.

[@TheMurrmursonbottle]

Luciferus Don’t make Gaga into a martyr. She only had a negative view from the public during her first few years, when she was being extravagant with costumes and putting on an act as a crazy pop diva for art. Now most people respect her, especially after Joanne and A Star is Born. People see her as talented and a strong songwriter, just like Sia, there’s no double standard. I made the comment about Gaga because they’re clearly a gaga stan. I as well as many think they’re both geniuses

[@QuinnnLeee]

something can come out of nothing. that's creation.

[@joelgriffiths2625]

THE VIRGIN BIRTH I GUESS.

[@solootto]

God level

[@acharich]

_"Let there be........."_

[@phoenix9531]

As defined by Thomas Aquinas I see

[@musicgirl3668]

Cailey Tang AND SIA SAID “LET THERE BE MUSIC”

[@MemeMeme-to4ht]

Love her or hate her she’s spitting facts

[@hermione10663]

Lmaoo ya she snapped

[@VinceIsDatBitch]

Im DECEASED

[@rebecca5521]

Vince rip

[@piepost6327]

and thats on badambadoo

[@alandoesexist]

Whose hate her?

[@xzgun100]

Thats also how Rihanna got 'work work work' song but she forgot to replace all the ba bi di dada

[@dem.l1278]

ulu that was obviously a joke...

[@caio2423]

ulu stupid

[@mugge47]

LOL

[@ronnierocketz]

Jamaican Patois is an actual language... stop

[@clintjohnson1023]

Ronnie Ricks exactly,it's like they think it's gibberish Because it's not a "European" form of English

[@jaymesEo6]

This lorem ipsum placeholder song lyrics tho.

[@exzaf]

lol

[@minimary6838]

LMFAOOOO

[@Dougiewoof]

tbh she could probably sing placeholder text and it would still sound amazing

[@Dougiewoof]

That's meant to say placeholder text by the way..lol stupid autocorrect and microphone

[@tookitogo]

jaymesEo6 That’s a great analogy. Nobody expects a graphic designer to write the articles in a magazine, too. Even if they’re the author, they’re not necessarily tasks you do at the same time! (As in, they can be, but don’t HAVE to be!)

[@red_ashcroft]

Sia's creative process is so interesting, it usually starts with a melody or a phrase. This one clearly started with "diamonds in the sky".

[@user-vx9yp7ch3e]

It was made for rihanna

[@Eleven-jr3nl]

@@user-vx9yp7ch3e but written by Sia :)

[@wesleyfelix6577]

@@user-vx9yp7ch3e Matter of taste I don't change Sia for Rhianna

[@Jessi-44]

Imagine being so musically inclined that you can literally hear the melody before you even sing it.

[@letmesleepinpeace7052]

Yeah I'm trying to grasp what I need to know first in order to make a melody... turns out I'm just not gifted lol

[@MellowJelly]

Aw man it sucks because I can hear a melody perfectly in my head, sometimes I can hear a whole orchestra with many parts. But when I try to make it into real life I lose most of it. Weird huh

[@L1ttlef0ot]

I agree, this is how David Byrne of Talking Heads for past his writer’s block and went on to write some of the best albums they ever made. The band would make a ‘jam session’ of instrumentals then keep what they liked, then Byrne would sing gibberish to make the melody for the song, not worrying about words until they fell into place (hence why there are a lot of their songs that have disjointed lyrics as they were just there to serve the melody). They used this technique for Remain in Light then again for Speaking in Tongues (hence the name of the album).

[@Plantbasedbaddiedj]

That's what I do does it mean I'm a musical genius to?

[@lilyc.g.5567]

Is that not normal...?

[@Chic88go]

This is also how The Weeknd write songs. Most songwriters are melodically driven vs lyric driven. Once the melody is there lyrics can be placed changed edited etc. But it’s the melody that evokes the emotion we feel when we listen to a song like diamonds. I will add it’s incredibly brilliant that SIA can hear a basic beat and chords and create this otherworldly top line AND concept/ metaphor (diamonds) that is something so few possess. As Al Green says “songs come out of the air” I truly think SIA has that gift. There is a reason why everyone in the industry has employed her.

[@SirJarOfBricks]

Ppl are complaining,this is how melody are made ppl, you use gibberish and then rights lyric to go with the rythem of the melodie, so yeah it doesn't sound as good because this the first part of the writing session. also ppl quit calling ppl dumb

[@RueLeBastards]

No one complaining actually

[@nlcnlcnlc]

@@RueLeBastards I seen nothing but negative comments complaining until this one much further down

[@itsaquagamer6101]

@its me This was from four years ago, so undoubtably the top comments have changed throughout the years. Four years ago, people might’ve been talking with their asses lol

[@patryan8743]

Are you kidding … this is pure artistry putting paint on a canvas. Who can pull a melody and lyric together from raw emotion and have it speak to so many people …love her humility and pure brilliance

[@bishamoon_]

Nobody: KZbin: lemme put this on everyone's recommendation a decade later

[@elina1421]

half a decade

[@georgesk77]

Omg me too 😂😂

[@estignatic]

A decade?

[@marctronixx]

aye literally in im the sahara casino in the lobby. the song just came on over the room pa. i heard sia's voice and wanted to see if there was a video to this song. i found this video instead. i thought the song had just come out (this is 2020 as im writing this) and see im a couple years too late.. :)

[@leeizme]

last time i checked it isnt 2024 at the moment lol

[@DanielSanchez-ul7ve]

The fact that she’s jibbeering, gives her a lot of room to creat any lyrics, genius

[@kammilox]

Nothing new 🤨🤨

[@furler6739]

FUCK ... she literally wrote this song in 14 minutes, how can she have such a creative head like this ... sia , the best songwriter

[@makerKID5]

This is incredible, genius! I can listen to it all day. Only non-songwriter would criticize what she's doing because they don't get it.

[@MrBrainfreeze300]

Your a song writer so u must get it right?! How cool you're so exclusive, cool please share more!

[@makerKID5]

+MrBrainfreeze300 if only you knew but I don't have to prove myself to a random idiot on the internet lol. Nope.

[@Veldtian1]

Maybe an appreciation for the artistic process is what's needed, any creative/technical endevour.

[@larbil26]

How can someone even criticize something that turned out to be one of the greatest hits

[@SoundToyzAreUs]

Well that the difference; a songwriter knows how valuable clips like this are. An insight to a pro writers methods. Not many of those clips out there on the net. If you were a writer you wouldn't get offended by his reply. I take it this offends you as well? Time will tell :)

[@victorbarbosadasilva1162]

I never realised how Diamonds is so compatible with Sia style, I can perfectly picture it on a album of hers

[@estignatic]

Well she made it with her own style and passed it to Rihanna

[@xavierlanejones2]

when i first heard it i thought it was her ong

[@doubleyouexwhyamzed]

I never knew I had a "gift" until I heard the way Sia creates music... Melodies come to me like this too! It's like wow, I'm not the only one who thinks this crazy way.

[@qliphaus]

Yeeees. You should listen to Michael Jacksons beat it demo. He just mumbled the harmonies and melodies then went back and recorded the lyrics. I thought it was cool even though he isn't really a writer much

[@SpongebobSQpants]

Totally, same.

[@fid.firdhaus]

me too...I writes and hums to my songs and they come from my head

[@merna5685]

omg ur so special!!!!!

[@MarinaAndTheDevil]

Me too! It’s always good to record them

[@darwinarnez237]

She's a genius

[@celina_x]

Darwin Arnez And now we have a song named Genius by Sia😂😍

[@ahmadnasery2558]

Darwin Arnez yes👍 sia is genius in world

[@catsfirst]

Ahmad Nasery but not in the afterlife :)

[@guytorie]

What a privilege it is to get to hear the unfinished version of a very famous song.

[@MellowJelly]

She is so good at creating catchy pop melodies. So masterful.

[@MrJai044]

She is creating the melody of the song along with a few key words and just a beat. Genius!

[@naiameyers4725]

When she said “la bi do ba di” I felt that 😩😫😤😍

[@Vlad.2201e]

This itself sounds better than some “hits” out there.

[@Gam1n4eva]

daaba daaba di owwohooh daabab ddaaaba di diamaonds in the sky daaba daaba di owwohooh daabab ddaaaba di diamaonds in the sky - Sia 2014

[@SongofaBeach2012]

I think this is absolutely beautiful...being able to hear something in it's beginning being created, sounds corny but its like a baby learning to speak. At first speaking gibberish, then eventually words form until language is mastered. It sounds messy to some but this is a peek at how songwriters process works. I feel privileged to have gotten a glimpse into Sia's creativity

[@plsarguewithme2665]

this is how professionals write songs, they establish the melody and build from that making it easier to make revisions without the worry of forgetting good ideas

[@GiselaGiardino]

marvelous. so gifted. she's like music embodied

[@luigiiodice3517]

What i love about Sia is that she, unlike other artists, can manage to replace the blabber with actual words! Isn't that beautiful?

[@mcslappinmcchicken1273]

Incredible!!! I could listen to this 24/7! She is amazing! 😍

[@fitness-dose-xp]

sia is so talented

[@HassaanQ]

Sia is a living music genius! I don't understand why she makes others sing her songs; to which she could literally rule the billboard

[@LALFAST]

I see a lot of comments here complaining about other comments that supposedly mock Sia for her gibberish... but I can’t find those comments myself.

[@Someone-xy4bc]

These people were probably laughing at it themselves or something, I don't understand how this could be funny anyway.

[@carajdrum6935]

Right? Was literally about to comment this.

[@TheSoonyGirl]

The missing comment would be on another platform (Pinterest, twitter etc) that links to this so people click on the link and put their reply here.

[@libiar]

The way she tried to make rhythm with using random words is incredible, tbh

[@TheRealThickiminaj]

She is making it up as she goes. This is fucking gold to hear the early stages of the song.

[@dadjamnit]

This is super encouraging, because I’ve always been able to come up with melodies on a dime, but could never compare to my brother’s free styling abilities, and I often beat myself up for not being able to come up with brilliant lyrics while simultaneously coming up with a brilliant melody. Nice to remember that even the Best professionals have to take it one step at a time. And I say “Best”, knowing that Sia’s written or helped with a whole Hell of a lot of the most influential pop music we’ve had in recent years.

[@sammyhamad8295]

a lot of artists go with the flow to find the sound of the song , this is a demo she’s iconic

[@erobbie]

That's actually so interesting just figuring out the syllables in each verse then actually writing the song wow

[@HarvestingThings]

absolute genius at work. she hasn't even written the lyrics yet the melody is already a bop in the making. pop music is blessed to have SIA

[@rogersanderscustoms8121]

She is a brilliant writer. This is how you do it for most projects, but sometimes you can sort through your trove of one and four-liners and attach random generic lyrics. You should always work the song but Sia seems very intelligent at knowing when the song has been worked enough. It's obvious that even the best songs come easy because writers almost always have a melody going on while they are in "every day" mode. So they are always bringing something, if only a scrap, to the table.

[@dylangintherofficial]

Its so she remembers the tune The lyrics are not important as memorizing the sound of the song is the start of a song Lyrics probably were not even created in full at this point

[@AdelaideBen1]

This is something to celebrate - not be disappointed at - for almost every artistic endeavor that is a masterpiece, there is a hours/days/weeks or more of practice and honing of ideas. Some people don't want to know how the sausage is made - but for others, it's an amazing insight into a creative process that has given all of us joy who get to enjoy the end-product.

[@iameliasmichael]

This clip is the epitome of melodic timing, talent and craftsmanship. I want to hear more music being made like this.

[@caitlynwolfe9133]

Amazing how it just sort of.. happens

[@ChristineScolari]

This is how I write my songs :) Sia was my inspiration 5 years ago to start :)

[@jennifercastillo5113]

14 minutes to go from this first attempt to the finished hit “Diamonds”. Pretty damn impressive...

[@udayaai]

This is me singing in the car when i forgot the lyrics

[@jeffmesquita8237]

😂😂😂😂😂

[@hamhahami165]

Im not a singer but i think its pretty simple to understand what she's doing. For people who dont understand She doesnt exactly have words at this moment but she's trying to go with the flow of beat so she mix random words and then listen to it later to understand what words can fix on each second and each beat. No wonder diamond was such a hit.

[@rafaeltorres2886]

love hearing this beautiful Goddess at work.

[@josefino72]

Yeah, learning the creative process is important for young musicians. This is really cool.

[@lati7656]

even a bunch of bullshit sounds awesome when its from sia's MOUTH!!!! I CANT GET OVER THIS ONE

[@mypartyyoutubization]

This is an amazing way to create any song. She is amazing

[@willieirsm]

Anyone who tends to forget good melodies that just pop into your mind know exactly what she’s doing. She’s getting the melody of the song down so she can later make the lyrics without risking the lyrics messing up the melody.

[@toddygotti4673]

This is how some artist find the melody then they add words later it’s actually a solid technique

[@TheSimcraftFixion]

I memorized the lyrics of this :)

[@Calztchi]

TheSimcraftFixion ok

[@ireneansaahadu6281]

TheSimcraftFixion 😂😂😂😂😂

[@fadi1466]

I'm a Sia stan but this is next-level LOL

[@yebosuwa]

I’m in the library losing my mind cause of this comment! 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@alexlau9287]

She’s so talented.

[@sceetsceet03]

The process of an artist. I love it.

[@nurul_ovro]

0:48 wow 😍

[@celebiglives9842]

It’s cool that this was what Rihanna needed to take her career to the next level. I felt this opened a new door to superstardom for her. Every artiste needs a song or a couple to take them to the next level. From Umbrella to Diamonds to Work….

[@cigsafterlana9237]

This made me feel some kind of happy. I’ve realized that not only am I the only who does this, but it kind of validates my own musicianship and musical abilities.

[@eannablythe2315]

when sia said "daba dava dum" i felt that

[@kiwisoup]

She has so many hit songs and in interviews she says she writes them in line ten minutes... now I know how she does it 😆

[@Meccarox]

I like being able to have a behind the scenes look at the song creation process.

[@claudiocarbone2225]

pure art! my queen

[@mracap6368]

I'm a simple man, i see random recommendations. I click it

[@hrishirajsingh8104]

Her voice is a blessing to human ears.

[@crinyh74]

Sia is like a huge diamond in the universe 💖

[@chip48]

its amazing to see how songs are being born

[@ericconner9407]

A window into the mind of an absolute genius

[@naula7]

Wow, this is amazing! So awesome to hear this in it's infancy.

[@TheFreakyOne5]

This makes me feel better about where I stand in my music career Edit: it’s because I do this when songwriting. If I know Sia does this, then I know I’m doing something right

[@3aalya]

Damn she's awesome

[@Mania28]

It's great to here this, it's so raw and went on to sell millions and nearly receive a billion views on KZbin when she passed it to Rihanna to sing

[@ieradossantos]

I love how she's pure melody already. On top of that the other 'artists' actually buy her songs...

[@dyslexicteletubby4048]

This is how Michael Jackson made his songs too

[@user-rv7ge1tc4l]

along with almost every musician. I love Micheal tho a fucking legend

[@martinh1309]

This was how he molested them kids aswell?

[@chief_mourner]

@@martinh1309 Yes Roy. This is _exactly_ how he molested them kids.

[@drakebell5649]

Roy Keane drop it

[@limz7ds393]

@@martinh1309 Molester or not. He was a musician who's talent couldn't be denied and still can't His songs will play for another hundred years.

[@Yojikudou03]

There’s so many super talented ghostwriters out there Writing for the biggest artists, I hope they can shine one day. Like ed Sheeran, sia, bruno, etc.

[@selamdestaaa]

Sia is a genius.

[@bri77ful]

This is BRILLIANT

Omg that’s literally how I write my songs! 😱 Sometimes it takes months to get from dabadi to the actual song but it’s worth it! Great clip

[@jae7798]

Queen of creating melodies

[@jei5795]

This is beautiful OMG

[@isntshelovely5823]

When no one is “laughing “ or complaining at the gibberish but everyone is a musical expert and has to say something to let it be known.

[@matthewwilliams8339]

Sia is incredible.

[@brooke9188]

This is a technique a lot of amazingly talented artists use when they don’t quite have the lyrics yet, but they know the tune and rhythm they’re going for. Paul McCartney’s “Yesterday” started out as “Scrambled Eggs” before he wrote his lyrics!

[@kriskenzo9082]

This is ART no cap

[@tiatortilla]

just minutes ago, i woke up, caught myself humming a melody. recorded it right away. and then i remembered this video and i cant help but feel inspired. maybe i should embrace the La Di Da method of writing songs. i've always found melodies coming to me for some reason. in dreams, on a bus ride home, in the shower... and im thankful that i found this very clip. maybe i could be like Sia too.

[@GerardLilVert]

SO DOPE! THE CREATIVE PROCESS

[@gloriarascon1550]

That voice, that force, raw talent!!

[@olymolly3637]

Thank you for this rarest diamond of all, Neptune.

[@jockmaraisasmr5700]

This is so insanely cool. I’ve done this before, too, when writing songs. I’ll just sing gibberish and occasionally a random line will come to me and I’ll sing it, like “diamonds in the sky” did with Sia.

[@Lidanza]

this is just epic

[@itskbhoe]

sias melodies are legendary

[@thehouseofmartin1600]

u can hear the pieces of greatness.

[@PrecociousFriand]

She's such a brilliant song writer.

[@ButterCheeseCornGozaru]

The vocal progression she made on this very beautiful..... Don't get me wrong, Diamonds is a beautiful song...but if the official vocals followed the exact notes on the vocals part... It will be more than a masterpiece

[@mromfggggggg]

Wish Every artist had some of these early recordings of their songs!

[@DavidHunter-ex9ci]

Voice from the gods above an angel at work