Shannon Neu
   A&E Editor

Sia released her seventh studio album, “This is Acting,” on Jan. 29, 2016. It is comprised of a collection of rejected songs she originally wrote for A-list pop stars. Curious to see how the songs would fare without the influence of star power, Sia began recording the songs in 2014.

Sia has a long history of writing songs for pop divas such as Britney Spears, Katy Perry, Rihanna and Beyoncé. In 2013, Sia wrote 25 songs for Beyoncé’s most recent album. However, only the song “Pretty Hurts” made the cut.

Sia began her career in music as a singer in the acid jazz band Crisp. After the group disbanded in 1997, Sia released her debut solo album, “OnlySee.” Since then, she has performed as a vocalist for bands such as Jamiroquai and Zero 7. She has released several solo albums that cover a wide range of genres, including jazz and pop.

The success of her 2014 album “1000 Forms of Fear” and her powerful hit “Chandelier” encouraged Sia to continue singing and recording her own material. An excitement surrounded “1000 Forms of Fear,” as this previously low-key artist rose to success and increased in popularity quickly by boldly rejecting the pop industry’s sexist, ageist conception of what a pop star should be.

Though “This is Acting” is a collection of songs rejected by artists such as Adele, Rihanna and Shakira, and even though it can be easy to hear the stylistic choices that were made to cater to strengths of these artists, the album does not sound like a random collection of demos. Rather, “This is Acting” is a complete work that explores the intersection of art and fame and comments on how pop music is a highly manufactured and severely scrutinized industry. It also represents Sia’s realization of self-worth.

Throughout the album, Sia exudes a playful energy as she adds an almost manic element to songs she did not write for herself (hence, the title — “This is Acting”). The songs on this album embody her feeling of liberation from the fear of fame and the burden of feeling like she wasn’t meant to be a star. Sia has finally gone from catering to the mainstream music scene to becoming a prominent part of it.

The album’s opening song, “Bird Set Free,” was originally written for the film “Pitch Perfect 2,” but it was rejected in favor of “Flashlight.”

The song was also later rejected by Rihanna. Adele recorded the song for her album “25,” but it was cut at the last minute. Sia pulls it off beautifully in her version, though. In the chorus, she sings “I don’t care if I sing off-key/ I find myself in my melodies/ I sing for love, I sing for me/ I shout it out like a bird set free.” She also repeats the line, “I don’t wanna die,” with gradually increasing emotion. The vigor Sia puts into the song sets the premise for the powerful album.

“Alive” was originally written for Adele’s “25.” It is an explosive, dramatic ballad that triumphantly rivals “Chandelier.” With her soaring vocals over piano and ghostly beat, Sia truly breathes life into this song.

“Sweet Design,” includes lines such as “My junk, hypnotize the whole room/ Bump, bump, I’ma rub it up on you/ My peach, juicy soft and so delicious/ My seat is here to bring you wicked wishes,” and features the unmistakable sample of Sisqo’s 1999 hit, “Thong Song.”

Sia’s recording of this song is playfully humorous, ridiculous and a little sarcastic. This fresh musical perspective makes the song fare much better with Sia than it would have if anyone else had recorded it.

The songs “One Million Bullets” and “Unstoppable” charge onward with their infectious melodies. The soul-pop jam “Reaper” was written with the help of Kanye West. Though it was written for Rihanna to record, Sia performs it magnificently as a bright and bouncy ode to cheating death.

Throughout the album, Sia takes simple concepts and blunt metaphors that would otherwise seem cheesy and portrays them with so much raw emotion and unyielding energy, they become poignant and powerful.

As Sia continues to grow as an artist and rises to stardom, hopefully she continues to save her best art for herself.