The complete title of the album says it all; this is the accompanying album of the film Music, which Sia has written and directed. Music (Songs From And Inspired By The Motion Picture) is a cheerful album featuring various songs. From potential radio hits to powerful ballads. It’s not Sia’s best album, but it’s certainly entertaining and well put together, undoubtedly complementing the film very well.
The first half of the album is filled with potential hits like the cheerful and infectious songs Together and Hey Boy. To promote this album and the film, music videos for these songs have been released, with Together featuring a scene from the film. Both videos exude joyfulness.
The second half of the album features more tranquil songs reminiscent of Sia’s earlier successful albums, 1000 Forms of Fear (2014) and This Is Acting (2016). Highlights include the tracks Courage to Change and Beautiful Things Can Happen. These are also the tracks where Sia’s voice and range shine the brightest. Her vocal prowess is undeniable and evident throughout the album.
Collaborations
It celebrates the film directed by Sia, but it’s also a typical Sia album. Over the years, Sia has reinvented her own sound multiple times. Several collaborations with David Guetta have performed well in the charts, such as Titanium, She Wolf, and the current radio hit Let’s Love. On this album, the duo collaborated again on Floating Through Space. It may not be as big a hit as their previous collaborations, but it’s certainly a strong track that is quintessentially Guetta and Sia.
Her collaboration with Labrinth is reminiscent of LSD, the ‘super group’ formed by Sia with singer Labrinth and DJ Diplo. Oblivion bears resemblance to LSD hits like Genius and Thunderclouds. This track fits seamlessly into Music.
Sia not only collaborates with past partners Labrinth and David Guetta, but she also sought the assistance of other well-known figures in writing several songs. Both P!nk and Dua Lipa contributed, and renowned pop music producers Jack Antonoff and Greg Kurstin were involved.
Criticism of the Film
Sia faced backlash when the first trailer of her film was released. The titular character, Music, is autistic, yet the role is not portrayed by an autistic actress. After Sia responded angrily to these negative reactions on social media, the film was immediately ‘canceled’ by many. Unfortunately, this criticism of the film also overshadows the album. It’s a shame because it’s a good album.
It took a few years for Sia’s own album to be released again, but with Music, new music is here. And good news for fans, the wait for more new music won’t be long. The next album has already been announced and is expected later this year. So, 2021 is a year full of new music for Sia fans.
