Sia - This Is Acting - Review

What do Adele, Rihanna, Beyoncé, Katy Perry, Shakira, and Icona Pop all have in common? Answer: They all were offered the tracks that make up Sia's new solo album.

This Is Acting is Sia's seventh studio album. She says that the success of 1000 Forms of Fear, and it's hit single "Chandelier" encouraged her to continue releasing new material for herself.

The album's title and concept come together like this..."I'm calling it This Is Acting because they are songs I was writing for other people, so I didn't go in thinking 'this is something I would say'. It's more like play acting. It's fun." Sia explains that when she's writing songs for others that she puts herself in a frame of mind that is like the person she is writing for, in other words play acting.

So, when the top-tier artists turn down or reject a song that she thinks would play well on the radio, Sia will keep those for herself, and that's exactly how Sia's new album came together.

Sia says of the songs on her new album..."I feel like they're hits, but nobody wanted them" - "So I thought, 'Let's see, as an experiment, if I'm right.” These are the tracks that make up her latest solo album, essentially a collection of rejects. All of the tracks were intended for others except for "One Million Bullets.”

If after all of that you're wondering why should you even bother buying or listening to an album full of songs rejected from today's top stars, I'd just say that their pass is Sia's gain. There are several tracks here that should be singles. The best tracks here are “Bird Set Free” - “Unstoppable” - “Reaper” - “Move Your Body” and you could pick others as well. It's an album of songs collected over a couple of years time, and these tracks are all really strong. It's hard to imagine why they weren't picked up by those artists, but for sure this is a very strong album with many great songs.

For those unfamiliar with Sia, she fits the genre of Pop, Electro-Pop, and R&B Soul. Her look doesn't fit her sound or expectations, but this is a really great album, and is already her most successful to date. Check it out. You'll be glad you did.

Rate this Album a strong 3½