Lyrically, the song has a melancholic theme, detailing the demoralisation and rationalisation of alcoholism through the thought process of a "party girl".

More broadly, the song speaks to the fleeting feelings of release and abandon that come with intoxication, as well as the pain, guilt and emptiness that accompany addiction, alcoholism and hedonistic excess.

The single received critical acclaim and reached the top 5 on record charts in 20 countries including France, Italy, Poland, Norway, Australia and New Zealand.

[2] A music video for the song, directed by Sia and Daniel Askill, and choreographed by Ryan Heffington, features American dancer Maddie Ziegler.

In support of the single and 1000 Forms of Fear, Sia, often with Ziegler, performed "Chandelier" on a number of US television shows, including The Ellen DeGeneres Show, Late Night with Seth Meyers, Jimmy Kimmel Live!, Saturday Night Live, Dancing With the Stars, and at the 57th Grammy Awards.

[3] Following the release, Sia took a hiatus from performing and co-wrote songs for other recording artists, including Beyoncé, Rihanna, Christina Aguilera, Flo Rida and David Guetta.

[7][8] The melody and chords were formed following a jam session in the studio featuring Sia on the piano and Jesse Shatkin playing a marimba.

[9] In the United States, "Chandelier" was released for digital download onto iTunes Stores on 17 March 2014 through Monkey Puzzle, with distribution by RCA Records.

It was described as an electropop ballad,[13] featuring "soaring" synthesisers,[14] "militant" drums,[15] and hip hop beats with electronica,[16] R&B,[17] and reggae influences.

[7] John Walker from MTV Buzzworthy opined that the song has a dark theme, "toeing the line between celebration and self-destruction as it becomes increasingly more blurred".

[21] A few critics, including Jeremy Gordon from Pitchfork Media,[19] and Melinda Newman of HitFix,[22] compared the song's musical style to works done by Rihanna.

[19] Bradley Stern from the website MuuMuse labelled "Chandelier" the best pop single of 2014, complimenting Sia's songwriting credits and her voice on the song.

[23] Writing for Time magazine, Jamieson Cox deemed "Chandelier" a "disarming, unforgettable listen that'll make you glad Sia kept this one for herself.

"[24] Maura Johnston of Spin wrote "Chandelier,” the opener of 1000 Forms of Fear, has a thudding beat similar to “Diamonds” but more importantly Furler's voice curls around each syllable, rendering some of the lyrics nearly unrecognizable as discreet words.

Throughout the video, Ziegler performs an interpretive dance in a deserted, dirty apartment "while spinning, kicking, leaping, crawling, falling, twirling and hiding herself behind window drapes".

But this time it was like, you just need to let go and feel it.The choreography was praised by media outlets; an editor from The Guardian wrote that Ziegler "dances with such impressive flexibility".

[77] In February 2015, Sia sang the song in a cluttered apartment set for the 2015 Grammy Awards telecast, with Ziegler dancing with actress Kristen Wiig.

[84] The song was covered on BBC Radio 1's Live Lounge in September 2014 by Irish band The Script; Music and Lyrics praised the group's three-man harmonies.