Sia - This Is Acting

You'd be forgiven for feeling that Sia's faceless campaign for her last behemoth album (first major commercial abum) 1000 Forms of Fear was a little bratty. Facing away from the crowd as your perform didn't seem like the best way to win new followers, however, somehow she nailed it. With incredible songs like 'Chandelier' and 'Elastic Heart' it would be impossible not to fall in love with the new, pop heavy version of the once odd ball, indy-pop artist. 

A leap has been made for new album 'This Is Acting', Sia now faces the crowd and reveals her mouth but covers the upper half of her face with a black and white wig. She's also flaunting some incredible pins but that's neither here nor there (they're really good legs!). I digress. This new album is even more commercial than its predecessor, but for good reason. The clue is in the title; this is Sia as 'Sia the Popstar'. This is Sia singing a collection of songs she'd never normally sing herself, ones she wrote for other major artists that either rejected them or in some cases she actually asked for the song back. This is the reverse of conventional musical experimentalism, where the likes of Beyoncé dabble in new noir sounds, Sia is striding on into the pop spectrum to fill her place.

From start to finish this is an album of staple mid tempo Sia pop numbers. Some may find it tedious, particularly fans of Colour the Small One Sia, but new age fans will be the pigs rolling around in Sia's muck (that didn't quite come across the way I wanted it to). Lead single 'Alive' was written with Adele for 25 but she didn't feel it suited her opus and was a little "too Sia" sounding. It worked out for the best as this was the perfect song to launch This Is Acting. A thudding bass line explodes on the anthemic chorus where Sia's vocals hit a register that even Chandelier would shy from. It's not the only anthem, 'Unstoppable' is an empowering ride and Kanye West production 'Reaper' is pop gold; the former begs to be a number one single and the latter is a surprisingly fun outing for West. 

Her vocals crack in all the right spots and the rapid fire middle8 is incredibly commanding. Vocals could never be an issue on a Sia record though, so it almost seems silly to focus on that element of the album. However, her turn on 'Move Your Body' is the complete opposite of anything Sia's ever released and although it takes a couple of listens to appreciate her effort, this is brilliantly Shakira sounding. I mentioned Beyoncé, because 'Sweet Design' was actually written for her and she knocked it back. Again, it worked out well because it's one of the genius pop moments Sia's ever had. Sampling the 'Thong Song' she snaps "News travels fast when you've got an ass like my sweet design / baby got back / ima clap that / it's a man trap..."It sounds ridiculous but trust me, it's superb. 

This Is Acting is a more consistently enjoyable album than 1000 Forms of Fear, mainly down to its vastly more commercial appeal. Every song is accessible, catchy and although the second half doesn't have the same punch as the first it's a great venture into pop experimentation. 

4 / 5