With a total of 17 awards won and an astonishing 44 nominations under her belt, singer, songwriter and record producer, Sia, released her seventh studio album, “This is Acting” on Jan. 29, 2016. However, this album is unique in comparison to her past releases like “1000 Forms of Fear” (2014) and “Best Of…” (2012) due to the fact that it is comprised of a series of tracks that were written and discarded by other artists, such as Rihanna, Demi Lovato, Shakira, Adele, Katy Perry and Beyoncé.
“Most of the songs, if not all of them, I wrote for other people, and they were rejected. And so there are generally songs that aren’t really from my perspective, and so it feels like acting,” Sia noted in an interview with Ryan Seacrest.
https://twitter.com/Sia/status/693211829577842692
In an interview with Rolling Stones last year, Sia shared that “I feel like they’re hits, but nobody wanted them. So I thought, ‘Let’s see as an experiment, if I’m right.’”
The idea for this album is pure genius and so individual. Sia’s approach is different than the approach others would have taken if they were in her position. Rather than pushing these beautifully constructed pieces to the side, Sia creates a compilation of songs that were originally written for various different artists, and pulls them all together into one, developing an emotionally triggering album worthy of high praise.
Sia’s vocals are most prominent and instantly identifiable due to her raspiness and fast vibrato. Her wide range of vocals allows her to hit notes that are both low and high, keeping each track original and distinct from the next. Her vocal range also aids in the fact that she can produce tones that are of a darker, more mysterious quality, or a sweeter, more feminine nature.
It’s hard to match previous albums that have hit number one on the charts time and time again, but Sia proves that it can be done, in addition to the fact that her most riveting pieces can go even further.
“This Is Acting:”
1. “Birds Set Free”
2. “Alive”
3. “One Million Bullets”
4. “Move Your Body”
5. “Unstoppable”
6. “Cheap Thrills”
7. “Reaper”
8. “House On Fire”
9. “Footprints”
10. “Sweet Design”
11. “Broken Glass”
12. “Space Between”
https://storify.com/FTHSDragonPress/sia-this-is-acting
Featured Photo Credit: Monkey Puzzle Records/RCA Records
