Sia to headline US abortion rights concerts

RECLUSIVE pop star Sia will headline one of a series of US election season concerts aimed at demonstrating support for abortion rights, organisers announced Monday.
Prominent Mexican pop singer Natalia Lafourcade will also perform at the Sept 10 show in Cleveland, which will be accompanied by simultaneous concerts in Atlanta, Chicago, Miami and Philadelphia.
Abortion rights activist coalition All Access said the concerts, along with smaller events around the United States, were aimed at mobilising supporters of the right to an abortion, a perennial flash point in US politics.
The Supreme Court legalised abortion nationwide in the landmark 1973 Roe v. Wade decision but lawmakers morally opposed to abortion have increasingly imposed regulations aimed at reducing women's access to abortion services.
According to All Access, nearly 90% of US counties have no abortion provider.
"There is so much support out there for an inclusive, equitable society that it's time we showed our collective power," Sia – the voice behind hits such as Chandelier, Titanium and most recently Cheap Thrills – said in a statement.
The Australian-born, California-based Sia was initially a behind-the-scenes songwriter and tries to preserve an element of anonymity in concert, singing behind a platinum-and-black wig that covers her face.
Also appearing at the Cleveland concert will be comedian Leslie Jones, who stars in the new remake of Ghostbusters.
Cleveland is in Ohio, one of the key battleground states in the Nov 8 election. — AFP