Sia, The Greatest | Track Review 🎵

Sia returns with a brand, spanking new single “The Greatest” featuring ‘it’ rapper Kendrick Lamar. “The Greatest” has the potential to be a big hit.

Pop singer/songwriter Sia released a new album back in January 2016, This Is Acting.  Regardless, Sia releases a new single that’s not part of This Is Acting, signifying a potential new project.  “The Greatest” features “it” rapper Kendrick Lamar and potentially gives Sia another hit.

“The Greatest” isn’t unlike “Cheap Thrills” in some of its production cues – it’s very much a Sia song.  The production work, hence, is slick as always. She delivers a solid vocal performance, sounding powerful and fully invested.  She gets a bonus lift from Kendrick Lamar on backing vocals, “I got stamina.”

A solid pre-chorus section foreshadows the chorus:

“Don’t give up, I won’t give up / don’t give up, no no no…”

The chorus is uplifting and catchy, much like “Bird Set Free” or “Alive”:

“I’m free to be the greatest, I’m alive / I’m free to be the greatest here tonight, the greatest / the greatest, the greatest alive / the greatest, the greatest alive”

Prior to Kendrick Lamar’s verse, there’s a fine post-chorus/bridge section by Sia.  Kendrick Lamar sounds incredibly clear on his verse.  It almost seems as if they took extra care to  polish his vocals/ vocal  production for this pop hit.

“I transform with pressure – I’m hands-on with effort / I fell twice before my bounce back was special / letdowns will get you, and the critics will test you / but the strong will survive, another scar may bless you.”

Final Thoughts

All in all, “The Greatest” is yet another potential hit at the hands of Sia.  It’s slickly produced and features an uplifting, positive message.  Unlike so many pop artists, she doesn’t need to be profane or aim low – she goes bigger and benefits because of it.  While Kendrick Lamar doesn’t deliver his most transcendent verse, his appearance only amplifies the potential success of this song.

Sia • The Greatest (ft. Kendrick Lamar) • RCA • Release: 9.9.16

Photo Credit: RCA