This Is Acting is the seventh studio album by Australian singer-songwriter Sia. It was released on 29 January 2016 by Inertia, Monkey Puzzle and RCA. The album was preceded by the release of the lead single, "Alive" on 24 September 2015. The album is mainly an electropop album with soul influences. The album is composed of songs written by Sia that were rejected by other artists, such as Adele and Rihanna. The album received generally positive reviews from music critics, who complimented the big bold beats and Sia’s vocals. However, some critics did not like the fact that the songs were not very personal and the messages of the songs could be taken in different ways.