Snowman (Sia song)

"Snowman" is a song by Australian singer-songwriter Sia. It was released on 9 November 2017 as the first and only promo single from Sia's eighth studio album and first Christmas album, Everyday Is Christmas. The song became popular in December 2020 following a TikTok challenge.[1]

"Snowman"
Promotional single by Sia
from the album Everyday Is Christmas
Released9 November 2017
Length2:45
Label
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)Greg Kurstin

Background, release and promotion

"Snowman" was announced on Sia's social media accounts on 7 November 2017, and was released for digital download and streaming on 9 November 2017 as a promotional single from Everyday Is Christmas.[2][3]

Sia performed "Snowman" on The Ellen DeGeneres Show,[4] and on the finale of the fifteenth season of American reality TV series The Voice.[5]

In December 2020, a challenge based around the song on video-sharing app TikTok saw a massive rise in popularity, becoming a trend. The challenge sees TikTok users attempt to sing a portion of the song, lasting forty seconds, in one breath.[1] Following the popularity on TikTok, Sia released a 'Snowed In & Slowed Down TikTok Remix' of the track, which replicates the sound which users had been using on TikTok.[6]

Composition
The song's co-writer Greg Kurstin in 2017

"Snowman" was written by Sia and frequent collaborator Greg Kurstin. Written in the key of D♭ major, Sia's vocals span from F3 to G♭5.[7] Production on the track was handled solely by Kurstin.[8] The song is a midtempo, 60's-inspired,[9] piano-driven, crisp, swaying ballad[10] over which Sia's vocals, described as "calm but energetic" by mxdwn, tell a snowman not to cry as he will melt.[11][12] The track runs for a length of 2 minutes and 45 seconds.[13]

Critical reception

Slant Magazine described the song as a "clever ode to fleeting romance".[14] Slate named it the best song on Everyday Is Christmas, noting it "[takes] something we associate with winter and [applies] it to a universal theme."[15]

NME commented that the TikTok remix version of the song "opts for a breezier tempo than the original, with Sia changing the song’s key midway through for extra effect."[6]

In 2020, Brandon Funston of The Athletic listed "Snowman" as the 85th best Christmas song of all-time.[16]

Commercial performance

Upon its initial release in 2017, "Snowman" debuted and peaked at number 3 on the Billboard Holiday Digital Songs Sales chart dated 2 December 2017.[17] Following its rise in popularity in 2020, the track reached the top 50 in Australia,[18] Canada,[19] France[20] and Germany,[21] among others. It also peaked at number 25 and number 18 on the Billboard Global 200 and Billboard Global Excl. U.S respectively,[22][23] and reached number 1 on the Finnish Singles Chart,[24] becoming Sia's first chart-topping hit in the country.[25]

Music video

On 30 October 2020, the claymation music video for "Snowman", directed by Lior Molcho, premiered on YouTube.[26]

Credits and personnel

Credits adapted from Tidal.[8]

Charts
Chart performance for "Snowman"
Chart (2017–2021) Peak
position
Australia (ARIA)[18] 35
Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[27] 20
Belgium (Ultratip Wallonia)[28] 4
Canada (Canadian Hot 100)[19] 20
Czech Republic (Singles Digitál Top 100)[29] 12
Finland (Suomen virallinen lista)[24] 1
France (SNEP)[20] 40
Germany (Official German Charts)[21] 20
Billboard Global 200[23] 25
Billboard Global Excl. U.S.[22] 18
Hungary (Stream Top 40)[30] 10
Ireland (IRMA)[31] 40
Malaysia (RIM)[32] 3
Netherlands (Single Top 100)[33] 25
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[34] 27
Norway (VG-lista)[35] 3
Portugal (AFP)[36] 55
Slovakia (Singles Digitál Top 100)[37] 13
South Korea (Gaon)[38] 15
Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[39] 36
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[40] 14
UK Singles (OCC)[41] 78
US Holiday Digital Songs (Billboard)[42] 3

Release history
Release history for "Snowman"
Region Date Format Version Label(s) Ref.
Various 9 November 2017
Original
[43]
9 December 2020 Video streaming Snowed In & Slowed Down TikTok Remix [44][6]

References
  1. Fowler, Kate (14 December 2020). "TikTok: What is the Snowman Challenge? Sia's Christmas song is the latest trend!". HITC. Retrieved 15 December 2020.
  2. @sia (8 November 2017). "The Christmas goodies continue, "Snowman" from Everyday Is Christmas will be out Thursday worldwide. - Team Sia" (Tweet). Retrieved 17 December 2020 – via Twitter.
  3. @sia (9 November 2017). "Move over Frosty ⛄ "Snowman" is here! Stream & download it now: fanlink.to/snowman - Team Sia" (Tweet). Retrieved 17 December 2020 – via Twitter.
  4. "Sia Unwraps a Special Holiday Performance of 'Snowman' | The Ellen Show on YouTube".
  5. ""Don't miss Sia performing "Snowman"... | Sia on Twitter".
  6. "Listen to Sia's remix of her 2018 track, 'Snowman'". NME. Retrieved 27 December 2020.
  7. Furler, Sia; Kurstin, Greg. "Snowman - Digital Sheet Music". MusicNotes. Archived from the original on 6 February 2021. Retrieved 6 February 2021.
  8. "Credits, Everyday Is Christmas by Sia | TIDAL".
  9. "Thank God Sia is doing Christmas music her way". The FADER. Retrieved 31 January 2021.
  10. Leight, Elias (21 December 2020). "All They Want for Christmas Is a TikTok Hit". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 27 December 2020.
  11. "The quality of Sia's Christmas album would leave Stephens shaken". The Irish Times. Retrieved 15 December 2020.
  12. "Listen to Sia's Ballad 'Snowman' from Forthcoming Holiday Album".
  13. Everyday Is Christmas (Deluxe Edition), retrieved 15 December 2020
  14. Camp, Alexa. "Review: Sia, Everyday Is Christmas". Slant Magazine. Retrieved 15 December 2020.
  15. Martinelli, Marissa (21 November 2017). "All the Songs on Sia's New Christmas Album, Ranked". Slate. Retrieved 15 December 2020.
  16. Staff, The Athletic Fantasy Sports. "Top 100 Christmas songs ranked: Ray Charles ... at No. 1?". The Athletic. Retrieved 31 January 2021.
  17. "Holiday Digital Song Sales Chart". Billboard. Retrieved 31 January 2021.
  18. "ARIA Top 50 Singles Chart". Australian Recording Industry Association. 28 December 2020. Retrieved 26 December 2020.
  19. "Sia Chart History (Canadian Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved 29 December 2020.
  20. "Top Albums". SNEP (in French). Retrieved 12 January 2021.
  21. "Offiziellecharts.de – Sia – Snowman". GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 30 December 2020.
  22. "Sia - BILLBOARD GLOBAL EXCL. U.S. - Chart History". Billboard. Retrieved 31 January 2021.
  23. "Sia Chart History (Global 200)". Billboard. Retrieved 29 December 2020.
  24. "Sia: Snowman" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland. Retrieved 28 December 2020.
  25. "Suomen Virallinen Lista". Musiikkituottajat (in Finnish). Retrieved 31 January 2021.
  26. "Sia - Snowman [Official Video] - YouTube". Retrieved 15 December 2020 – via YouTube.
  27. "Austriancharts.at – Sia – Snowman" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved 24 December 2020.
  28. "Ultratop.be – Sia – Snowman" (in French). Ultratip. Retrieved 17 November 2020.
  29. "ČNS IFPI" (in Czech). Hitparáda – Digital Top 100 Oficiální. IFPI Czech Republic. Note: Change the chart to CZ – SINGLES DIGITAL – TOP 100 and insert 202052,53 into search. Retrieved 4 January 2021.
  30. "Archívum – Slágerlisták – MAHASZ" (in Hungarian). Stream Top 40 slágerlista. Magyar Hanglemezkiadók Szövetsége. Retrieved 8 January 2021.
  31. "Official Irish Singles Chart Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 1 January 2021.
  32. "#RIMChart Top 20 Most Streamed International + Domestic song Week 52 (18/12/20- 24/12/20)". Instagram. Retrieved 1 January 2021.
  33. "Dutchcharts.nl – Sia – Snowman" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 1 January 2021.
  34. "NZ Top 40 Singles Chart". Recorded Music NZ. 28 December 2020. Retrieved 26 December 2020.
  35. "VG-lista – Topp 20 Single uke 52, 2020". VG-lista. Retrieved 25 December 2020.
  36. "Portuguesecharts.com – Sia – Snowman". AFP Top 100 Singles. Retrieved 21 January 2021.
  37. "ČNS IFPI" (in Slovak). Hitparáda – Singles Digital Top 100 Oficiálna. IFPI Czech Republic. Note: Select SINGLES DIGITAL - TOP 100 and insert 202052,53 into search. Retrieved 4 January 2021.
  38. "2018년 52주차 Digital Chart" (in Korean). Gaon. Retrieved 24 December 2020.
  39. "Veckolista Singlar, vecka 53". Sverigetopplistan. Retrieved 5 January 2021.
  40. "Swisscharts.com – Sia – Snowman". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved 3 January 2021.
  41. "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 25 December 2020.
  42. "Sia Chart History: Holiday Digital Songs". Billboard. Retrieved 15 December 2020.
  43. "Snowman". Retrieved 15 December 2020 – via Spotify.
  44. "Sia – Snowman (Snowed In & Slowed Down TikTok Remix)". Retrieved 15 December 2020 – via YouTube.
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