BY: Emily Croft, Staff Writer

Last Friday, Sia disappointed fans with her newest album, Music, consisting of 14 songs from and inspired by her controversial movie of the same title.

 If you’re a Sia fan, you may want to skip this album. Wildly different from her typical work and famous Christmas album, Music doesn’t seem to contain a single song that is top-chart worthy.

Before she released the album, Sia debuted her song “Hey Boy” last November. The song is about a girl meeting a new boy and wanting to have a one-night stand with him, rather than be single for her life. While the song is upbeat and has a fun music video, the lyrics are extremely repetitive and seem to be somewhat inappropriate for a younger audience.

“Together,” the first song on the album that was released as a single last May, is another upbeat song that focuses on love and togetherness. In true Sia fashion, the music video features famous dancer Maddie Ziegler, who also plays the main character in Sia’s directorial debut, alongside Leslie Odom Jr. and Kate Hudson. 

Of note, Ziegler’s role in the movie has sparked controversy, as she plays a character with autism despite being able-bodied herself.  Sia subsequently received a load of backlash on social media from the disabled community, who were offended that Sia did not cast a person with autism. The community has also been outspoken by Ziegler’s mannerisms, specifically the faces she makes in the film as her character is nonverbal. 

Another song on the album, “Oblivion,” is a re-recorded song that features Labrinth. The original was released in 2019, and is sung primarily by Labrinth, with Sia featured in some of the background vocals. 

In the new adaptation , Sia changed a bit of the backbeat and took the vocal lead, leaving Labrinth more in the background. It’s not a bad song, but the reversal of roles is a bit sketchy, especially since this time around the song is being positioned as a Sia original. 

“Courage to Change” was also released before the album last September, and seems to be one of the better songs on the album. The focus of the song is about finding one’s purpose in life and reminding the audience that they are not alone. The song’s beat and back vocals offer a welcomed somber tone compared to the rest of the peppy album.

The final notable song on the album is “Floating Through Space,” featuring David Guetta. In realizing that Earth is a mass floating through space, the song offers a big picture perspective about humanity. The song is encouraging, highlighting the need to persevere and survive another day. If nothing else, the song supports the album’s overarching theme: being strong and making it through life when times get rough.

Music doesn’t really stand out when it’s compared to the work she’s produced in the past. The songs are OK, and the lyrics are cliche. The album as a whole is underwhelming and bland, and the songs tend to blend together. 

I don’t think that this album should or would win awards any time soon, and neither will the film.