#13: Sia - 1000 Forms of Fear

Perhaps the one backhanded criticism you could lay at Sia's door is that everything here sounds like a hit. 'Chandelier' sets the tone, and rightly so: in a year that gave us 'Drunk In Love', it still sounds like the most ambitious pop song of the year. In one respect, this makes the record feel less cohesive, lacking the ebb and flow of a traditional long player experience; it's also an absolute treat, a Best Of to match any of the money-spinners she writes for more famous pop stars (Rihanna's 'Diamonds' and the ubiquitous David Guetta collaboration 'Titanium' spring to mind). Amid a handful of serviceable ballads, Sia really shines when she lets rip, with 'Burn the Pages' and 'Free the Animal' showcasing her talent for the kind of bombastic writing and production that sticks in your head for days. And when that kind of magic keeps Beyonce, Eminem, Britney Spears, Katy Perry, and a host of others knocking at her door to collaborate, it's probably no wonder 1000 Forms of Fear sounds like solid gold.