Unstoppable (Sia song) explained

Unstoppable
Cover:Unstoppable single art.jpg
Type:Single
Artist:Sia
Album:This Is Acting
Released:18 July 2022
Recorded:2015
Genre:Electropop
Length:3:37
Producer:Jesse Shatkin
Prev Title:Dynamite
Prev Year:2022
Next Title:Gimme Love
Next Year:2023

"Unstoppable" is a song by Australian singer-songwriter Sia, taken from her seventh studio album This Is Acting (2016). The song was written by Sia and Christopher Braide, and produced by Jesse Shatkin. It was released as the album's final promotional single on 21 January 2016. In July 2016, a new version of the song was made for Gillette's 2016 Olympic ad campaign, "Pretty Isn't Perfect", which features a verse from American rapper Pusha T.[1] [2] [3]

In 2022, the song was released to radio as an official single in the United States after gaining popularity through commercials and video-sharing app TikTok.[4] Unstoppable reached one billion streams on Spotify at the end of 2023, becoming the 3rd Sia song to achieve this.

At the APRA Music Awards of 2024, the song won Most Performed Australian Work Overseas.[5]

Composition

"Unstoppable" is the fifth track on Sia's 2016 album This Is Acting. It has been called a "stomping, empowering jam" and "swollen self-esteem anthem of her",[6] [7] with lyrics like, "I'm unstoppable, I'm a Porsche with no brakes / I'm invincible, I win every single game / I'm so powerful I don't need batteries to play / I'm so confident yeah I'm unstoppable today."[8]

Release and commercial use

Sia debuted "Unstoppable" as a promotional single on 20 January 2016, days before the album's 29 January release date.[6] [9] The song marked the sixth used to promote the album prior to its release.[8] [10] [11] Major League Baseball used the song to promote the 2016 postseason as well as highlights.[12]

In 2019, the song was used in the commercial for the Lancôme Idôle fragrance, which starred Zendaya.[13] In 2022, "Unstoppable" was featured in a commercial for the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra.[14]

Reception

"Unstoppable" has received mostly positive critical reception, with most reviewers commenting on its theme of empowerment. Jessie Morris of Complex commented that the song sounds like a "page torn right out of Demi Lovato's Confident book", while editors of other media platforms like Idolator noticed this as well, which raised speculation that the track was intentionally written for Lovato.[15] [16] Billboard Jessica Katz said the song is reminiscent of work by Rihanna and "clearly follows in the lineage of emotional barn-burners that have become [Sia's] trademark".[8] Michelle Lulic of Bustle said its lyrics "make it clear is the female empowerment anthem you had no idea you were missing from your life. Seriously, if you need a song to get you through the rest of the work week... and this is the song you've been waiting for."[17] Furthermore, Lulic wrote, "While ... the song was not initially written for [Sia], it certainly doesn't take away from [her] ability to handle the powerful ballad and catchy lyrics. Because, honestly, if it was Rihanna, Adele, or even Katy Perry singing this song, it still wouldn't lose its powerful message."[17]

MTV's Emilee Lindner said it "encourages those who are feeling weak to put their armor on". Furthermore, she wrote, "The song seems like it's taking the message from her previously released track, 'Alive', and giving it a boost. Instead of just surviving, she's going to prove to people that she's going to succeed, and she's going to look good doing it."[10] Daniel Kreps of Rolling Stone called the song "triumphant", with a "fist-pumping, wall-smashing" chorus.[18] Stereogums Tom Breiham, who wrote about the song after its debut but before This Is Acting release, guessed that Sia wrote "Unstoppable" with a recording artist like Katy Perry in mind. He compared the song to the work of Florence and the Machine.[7]

Commercial performance

On the Billboard Hot 100, the song debuted at number 98 six years after being released, and peaked at number 28, becoming Sia's eighth top 40 hit on the chart.Unstoppable has charted in the top five of Adult Contemporary for a record 84 weeks, all consecutively since the ranking dated Oct. 8, 2022. In 2024, Unstoppable becomes the 4th song in history to spend 100 non-consecutive weeks on @billboard‘s Adult Contemporary Chart.[19]

Unstoppable reached one billion streams on Spotify at the end of 2023, becoming the 3rd Sia song to achieve this.

Track listing

Digital download – The Remixes

  1. "Unstoppable" (Clarence Clarity remix) – 3:47
  2. "Unstoppable" – 3:37
  3. "Unstoppable" (R3Hab remix) – 2:42
  4. "Unstoppable" (Slowed & Reverb) – 4:12
  5. "Unstoppable" (Sped up) – 3:17

Charts

Weekly charts

Chart (2016)! scope="col"
Peak
position
Australia (ARIA)[20] 115
Ukraine Airplay (Tophit)[21] 10
Chart (2019–2023)! scope="col"
Peak
position
Euro Digital Songs (Billboard)[22] 8
France Downloads (SNEP)[23] 2
Greece Airplay (IFPI)[24] 2
Greece Digital Songs (Billboard)[25] 4
Iceland (Plötutíðindi)[26] 20
India International Singles (IMI)[27] 6
Netherlands (Single Tip)[28] 6
Vietnam (Vietnam Hot 100)[29] 67

Year-end charts

Chart (2016)! scope="col"
Position
CIS (Tophit)[30] 13
Russia Airplay (Tophit)[31] 8
Ukraine Airplay (Tophit)[32] 122
Chart (2020)! scope="col"
Position
Belgium (Ultratop Flanders)[33] 44
Belgium (Ultratop Wallonia)[34] 49
Hungary (Rádiós Top 40)[35] 77
Chart (2022)! scope="col"
Position
Canada (Canadian Hot 100)[36] 93
Global 200 (Billboard)[37] 115
Hungary (Rádiós Top 40)[38] 48
Hungary (Single Top 40)[39] 49
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[40] 46
US Adult Contemporary (Billboard)[41] 11
US Adult Top 40 (Billboard)[42] 14
US Digital Song Sales (Billboard)[43] 16
US Radio Songs (Billboard)[44] 40
Chart (2023)! scope="col"
Position
Australian Artist (ARIA)[45] 15
Global 200 (Billboard)[46] 69
Hungary (Rádiós Top 40)[47] 61
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[48] 30
US Adult Contemporary (Billboard)[49] 1
US Adult Top 40 (Billboard)[50] 13

Notes and References

  1. Chris Payne . 13 July 2016 . Sia's 'Unstoppable' Becomes 2016 Olympics Anthem Feat. Pusha T: Exclusive . live . . https://web.archive.org/web/20160725190309/http://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/pop/7438117/sia-unstoppable-pusha-t-olympics-remix-2016-commercial-video-premiere . 25 July 2016 . 25 July 2016.
  2. Web site: Carey O'Donnell . Sia's "Unstoppable" Remixed As 2016 Olympic Anthem Feat. Pusha T . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20160722134118/http://www.papermag.com/sia-unstoppable-remix-olympics-2016-pusha-t-1920185190.html . 22 July 2016 . 25 July 2016 . Paper.
  3. Web site: 13 July 2016 . Pusha T And Ariel Rechtshaid Remix Sia's "Unstoppable" For Gillette's Olympics Campaign . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20160715063124/http://www.stereogum.com/1887684/pusha-t-and-ariel-rechtshaid-remix-sias-unstoppable-for-gillettes-olympics-campaign/mp3s/ . 15 July 2016 . 25 July 2016 . Stereogum.
  4. Trust . Gary . 13 October 2022 . Sia's 6-Year-Old 'Unstoppable' Hits No. 1 on Adult Pop Airplay Chart . 10 January 2024 . Billboard.
  5. Web site: APRA Music Awards 2024: Troye Sivan, Sia & The Teskey Brothers Among Biggest Winners. The Music. 1 May 2024. 2 May 2024.
  6. Goodman. Jessica. Sia releases empowering new song, 'Unstoppable'. Entertainment Weekly. 21 January 2016. 4 February 2016. 24 January 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20160124004413/http://www.ew.com/article/2016/01/21/sia-unstoppable. live.
  7. Web site: Sia – "Unstoppable". Tom. Breihan. 21 January 2016. 4 February 2016. Stereogum. 24 January 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20160124201618/http://www.stereogum.com/1854492/sia-unstoppable/mp3s/. live.
  8. Katz. Jessica. Sia Is 'Unstoppable' on New Empowerment Anthem. Billboard. 21 January 2016. 4 February 2016. 6 February 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20160206071705/http://www.billboard.com/articles/news/6851534/sia-unstoppable-new-song. live.
  9. Web site: Wass . Mike . 15 December 2022 . Aerosmith's 'Dream On,' Lady Gaga's 'Bloody Mary,' Sia's 'Unstoppable' Among the Viral Revivals of 2022 . 19 January 2024 . Variety.
  10. Web site: Lindner. Emilee. Sia Gives Us New Song, 'Unstoppable,' to Punch Things To. MTV. 4 February 2016. 21 January 2016. 12 January 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220112144201/http://www.mtv.com/news/2730943/sia-unstoppable-this-is-acting/. dead.
  11. Web site: Gordon. Jeremy. Listen to Sia's "Unstoppable". Pitchfork. 4 February 2016. 21 January 2016. 4 February 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20160204140818/http://pitchfork.com/news/63060-listen-to-sias-unstoppable/. live.
  12. News: Newman. Mark. To the races: MLB postseason schedule Announced. Major League Baseball. 24 August 2016. 24 August 2016. 17 September 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20170917032341/http://m.mlb.com/news/article/197193842/mlb-releases-full-2016-postseason-schedule/. live.
  13. Web site: Ilchi. Layla. Zendaya Stars in Lancôme Idôle Fragrance Commercial. Women's Wear Daily. 10 December 2019. 25 August 2019. 2 December 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20191202071216/https://wwd.com/fashion-news/fashion-scoops/zendaya-lancome-idole-fragrance-commercial-video-1203244161/. live.
  14. https://www.ispot.tv/ad/bANW/samsung-mobile-break-the-rules-of-light-800-off-song-by-sia Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra TV Spot, 'Break the Rules of Light: $800 Off' Song by Sia
  15. Web site: Listen to Sia's "Unstoppable". Complex. Morris. Jessie. 21 January 2016. 28 January 2016. 6 February 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20160206145302/http://www.complex.com/music/2016/01/sia-new-song-unstoppable. live.
  16. Web site: Sia Is "Unstoppable" On Her Latest 'This Is Acting' Track: Listen. Idolator. Gracie. Bianca. 21 January 2016. 28 January 2016. 1 July 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20160701135635/http://www.idolator.com/7620765/sia-unstoppable-latest-this-is-acting-track-listen. live.
  17. Lulic. Michelle. Sia's "Unstoppable" Lyrics Are Jam-Packed With Female Empowerment. Bustle. January 2016. 4 February 2016. 23 February 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20160223144432/http://www.bustle.com/articles/136960-sias-unstoppable-lyrics-are-jam-packed-with-female-empowerment. live.
  18. Kreps. Daniel. Hear Sia's Empowering New Track 'Unstoppable'. Rolling Stone. 21 January 2016. 4 February 2016. 31 January 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20160131060332/http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/hear-sias-empowering-new-track-unstoppable-20160121. live.
  19. Sia's 'Unstoppable' Hits 100-Week Milestone on Adult Contemporary Chart . .
  20. Web site: Sia ARIA chart history, received from ARIA in May 2024. ARIA. Imgur.com. 12 July 2024. N.B. The High Point number in the NAT column represents the release's peak on the national chart.
  21. Web site: List of 10 April 2016. Ukrainian Music Charts. 10 April 2016. ru. 8 April 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20160408172801/http://www.tophitru.com/ukraine_weekly.shtml. live.
  22. Euro Digital Song Sales – September 14, 2019. Billboard. 10 September 2019. 3 December 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20191203091832/https://www.billboard.com/charts/euro-digital-song-sales/2019-09-14. live.
  23. Web site: Le Top de la semaine : Top Singles Téléchargés – SNEP (Week 36, 2019). Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique. fr. 6 August 2019.
  24. Web site: Official IFPI Charts/Top-20 Airplay Chart (Combined). https://web.archive.org/web/20200430055949/https://www.ifpi.gr/airplay_el.html. dead. 30 April 2020. ifpi.gr. 30 April 2020.
  25. Euro Digital Song Sales – September 28, 2019. Billboard. 24 September 2019.
  26. Web site: Tónlistinn – Lög. The Music – Songs. is. Plötutíðindi. 24 September 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220831133203/https://plotutidindi.is/tonlistinn/. 31 August 2022.
  27. Web site: IMI International Top 20 Singles for week ending 4th April 2022 Week 13 of 52. IMIcharts.com. https://web.archive.org/web/20230315144423/https://imicharts.com/. 15 March 2023. dead. 22 May 2023.
  28. Web site: Dutch Single Tip 26/11/2022. dutchcharts.nl. nl. 26 November 2022.
  29. Sia Chart History (Billboard Vietnam Hot 100). Billboard. 4 October 2022.
  30. Web site: CIS Year-End Radio Hits (2016). Tophit. 12 August 2019. 12 August 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190812094726/https://tophit.ru/en/chart/airplay/yearly/2016-01-01/all/all. live.
  31. Web site: Russian Top Year-End Radio Hits (2016). Tophit. 12 August 2019. 16 April 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190416143529/https://tophit.ru/en/chart/russia/yearly/2016-01-01/all/all. live.
  32. Web site: Ukrainian Top Year-End Radio Hits (2016). Tophit. 12 August 2019. 16 April 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190416140301/https://tophit.ru/en/chart/ukraine/yearly/2016-01-01/all/all. live.
  33. Web site: Jaaroverzichten 2020. Ultratop. 18 December 2020. 22 December 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20201222150046/https://www.ultratop.be/nl/annual.asp?year=2020. live.
  34. Web site: Rapports Annuels 2020. Ultratop. 18 December 2020. 21 December 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20201221130107/https://www.ultratop.be/fr/annual.asp?year=2020. live.
  35. Web site: Rádiós Top 100 - hallgatottsági adatok alapján - 2020. 22 February 2021. Mahasz. 7 February 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210207053735/http://slagerlistak.hu/archivum/eves-osszesitett-listak/radios/2020. live.
  36. Canadian Hot 100 – Year-End 2022. Billboard. 2 December 2022.
  37. Billboard Global 200 – Year-End 2022. Billboard. 2 December 2022.
  38. Web site: Rádiós Top 100 - hallgatottsági adatok alapján - 2022. Mahasz. hu. 4 February 2023. 3 February 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230203044628/https://slagerlistak.hu/archivum/eves-osszesitett-listak/radios/2022. live.
  39. Web site: Single Top 100 – eladási darabszám alapján – 2022. Mahasz. hu. 3 February 2023. 3 February 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230203162441/https://slagerlistak.hu/archivum/eves-osszesitett-listak/single_db/2022. live.
  40. Web site: Schweizer Jahreshitparade 2022. hitparade.ch. 27 December 2022.
  41. Adult Contemporary Songs – Year-End 2022. Billboard. 2 December 2022.
  42. Adult Pop Airplay Songs – Year-End 2022. Billboard. 2 December 2022.
  43. Digital Song Sales – Year-End 2022. Billboard. December 31, 2022.
  44. Radio Songs – Year-End 2022. Billboard. December 31, 2022.
  45. Web site: ARIA Top 50 Australian Artist Singles Chart for 2023. Australian Recording Industry Association. 14 January 2024.
  46. Billboard Global 200 – Year-End 2023. Billboard. 22 November 2023.
  47. Web site: Rádiós Top 100 - hallgatottsági adatok alapján - 2023. MAHASZ. 29 January 2024. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20240125133848/https://slagerlistak.hu/archivum/eves-osszesitett-slagerlistak/radios/2023. 25 January 2024. hu.
  48. Web site: Schweizer Jahreshitparade 2023. hitparade.ch. 31 December 2023.
  49. Adult Contemporary Songs – Year-End 2023. Billboard. 22 November 2023.
  50. Adult Pop Airplay Songs – Year-End 2023. Billboard. 22 November 2023.

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Unstoppable (Sia song)".

Except where otherwise indicated, Everything.Explained.Today is © Copyright 2009-2024, A B Cryer, All Rights Reserved. Cookie policy.