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"
Slowed Down & Snowed In remix artwork
Promotional single by Sia
from the album Everyday Is Christmas
Released9 November 2017
Length2:45
Label
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)Greg Kurstin
Music video
"Snowman" on YouTube

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. This track was later featured on the album Everyday is Christmas Snowman Deluxe Edition released on November 5, 2021.[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] 18
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
Global 200 (Billboard)[23] 25
Billboard Global Excl. U.S.[22] 18
Hungary (Stream Top 40)[30] 10
Ireland (IRMA)[31] 40
Italy (FIMI)[32] 63
Lithuania (AGATA)[33] 14
Netherlands (Single Top 100)[34] 25
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[35] 27
Norway (VG-lista)[36] 1
Portugal (AFP)[37] 55
Slovakia (Singles Digitál Top 100)[38] 13
South Korea (Gaon)[39] 15
Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[40] 36
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[41] 14
UK Singles (OCC)[42] 55
US Holiday Digital Songs (Billboard)[43] 3

Certifications
Region CertificationCertified units/sales
Denmark (IFPI Danmark)[44] Gold 45,000
Italy (FIMI)[45] Gold 35,000
Poland (ZPAV)[46] Platinum 50,000
United Kingdom (BPI)[47] Silver 200,000
United States (RIAA)[48] Gold 500,000

Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Release history
Release history for "Snowman"
Region Date Format Version Label(s) Ref.
Various 9 November 2017
Original
[49]
9 December 2020 Video streaming Snowed In & Slowed Down TikTok Remix [50][6]
29 October 2021
  • Digital download
  • streaming
 [51]

References
  1. Fowler, Kate (14 December 2020). "TikTok: What is the Snowman Challenge? Sia's Christmas song is the latest trend!". HITC. Archived from the original on 14 December 2020. 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. Archived from the original on 10 December 2020. 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". Archived from the original on 30 March 2021.
  9. "Thank God Sia is doing Christmas music her way". The FADER. Archived from the original on 23 November 2020. Retrieved 31 January 2021.
  10. Leight, Elias (21 December 2020). "All They Want for Christmas Is a TikTok Hit". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on 26 December 2020. Retrieved 27 December 2020.
  11. "The quality of Sia's Christmas album would leave Stephens shaken". The Irish Times. Archived from the original on 17 November 2017. Retrieved 15 December 2020.
  12. "Listen to Sia's Ballad 'Snowman' from Forthcoming Holiday Album". Archived from the original on 30 March 2021.
  13. Everyday Is Christmas (Deluxe Edition), archived from the original on 30 November 2020, retrieved 15 December 2020
  14. Camp, Alexa. "Review: Sia, Everyday Is Christmas". Slant Magazine. Archived from the original on 23 January 2021. Retrieved 15 December 2020.
  15. Martinelli, Marissa (21 November 2017). "All the Songs on Sia's New Christmas Album, Ranked". Slate. Archived from the original on 22 May 2019. Retrieved 15 December 2020.
  16. Staff, The Athletic Fantasy Sports. "Top 100 Christmas songs ranked: Ray Charles ... at No. 1?". The Athletic. Archived from the original on 5 February 2021. Retrieved 31 January 2021.
  17. "Holiday Digital Song Sales Chart". Billboard. Archived from the original on 25 September 2020. Retrieved 31 January 2021.
  18. "Sia – Snowman". ARIA Top 50 Singles. Retrieved 26 December 2020.
  19. "Sia Chart History (Canadian Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved 29 December 2020.
  20. "Top Albums". SNEP (in French). Archived from the original on 2 February 2020. Retrieved 12 January 2021.
  21. "Sia – Snowman" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved 30 December 2020.
  22. "Sia - BILLBOARD GLOBAL EXCL. U.S. - Chart History". Billboard. Archived from the original on 21 November 2020. 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). Archived from the original on 26 May 2020. Retrieved 31 January 2021.
  26. "Sia - Snowman [Official Video] - YouTube". Archived from the original on 15 December 2020. Retrieved 15 December 2020 – via YouTube.
  27. "Sia – Snowman" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved 14 December 2021.
  28. "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. "Top Singoli – Classifica settimanale WK 49" (in Italian). Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana. Retrieved 11 December 2021.
  33. "2021 49-os savaitės klausomiausi (TOP 100)" (in Lithuanian). AGATA. 10 December 2021. Retrieved 10 December 2021.
  34. "Sia – Snowman" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 1 January 2021.
  35. "NZ Top 40 Singles Chart". Recorded Music NZ. 28 December 2020. Archived from the original on 7 January 2021. Retrieved 26 December 2020.
  36. "VG-lista – Topp 20 Single 2021-49". VG-lista. Retrieved 11 December 2021.
  37. "Sia – Snowman". AFP Top 100 Singles. Retrieved 21 January 2021.
  38. "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.
  39. "2018년 52주차 Digital Chart" (in Korean). Gaon. Archived from the original on 3 January 2020. Retrieved 24 December 2020.
  40. "Veckolista Singlar, vecka 53". Sverigetopplistan. Archived from the original on 22 January 2021. Retrieved 5 January 2021.
  41. "Sia – Snowman". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved 3 January 2021.
  42. "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 10 December 2021.
  43. "Sia Chart History: Holiday Digital Songs". Billboard. Archived from the original on 15 November 2020. Retrieved 15 December 2020.
  44. "Danish single certifications – Sia – Snowman". IFPI Danmark. Retrieved 19 July 2021.
  45. "Italian single certifications – Sia – Snowman" (in Italian). Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana. Retrieved 19 July 2021. Select "2021" in the "Anno" drop-down menu. Select "Snowman" in the "Filtra" field. Select "Singoli" under "Sezione".
  46. "Wyróżnienia – Platynowe płyty CD - Archiwum - Przyznane w 2021 roku" (in Polish). Polish Society of the Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 6 October 2021.
  47. "British single certifications – Sia – Snowman". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 22 October 2021.
  48. "American single certifications – Sia – Snowman". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved 29 October 2021.
  49. "Snowman". Archived from the original on 16 March 2021. Retrieved 15 December 2020 – via Spotify.
  50. "Sia – Snowman (Snowed In & Slowed Down TikTok Remix)". Archived from the original on 20 December 2020. Retrieved 15 December 2020 – via YouTube.
  51. Sia. "Snowman (Slowed Down & Snowed In Remix) - Single". Apple Music (US). Retrieved 29 October 2021.
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