At its core, the song is a celebration of finding joy in simple, free pleasures.
"Cheap Thrills" (ft. Sean Paul) is widely regarded as the pinnacle of Sia's "This Is Acting" era—an album composed of songs originally written for other artists but ultimately reclaimed by Sia herself. Initially rejected by Rihanna for her album Anti , the track eventually became Sia's first No. 1 hit on the Billboard Hot 100. Lyric & Theme Deep Dive: The Anti-Materialist Anthem sia_cheap_thrills_lyrics_ft_sean_paul
While the song was a massive commercial success, critical reviews were a mix of praise for its craftsmanship and critiques of its "blandness": At its core, the song is a celebration
Rolling Stone called it a "bouncy party anthem," and NME praised it as a "superior slab of on-trend ear candy" from a master songwriter. The Atlantic even dubbed it the "rightful song of the summer" for triggering a mixture of glee and nostalgia. Initially rejected by Rihanna for her album Anti
Some critics felt the song was "anodyne" or "bland" compared to Sia's more raw, emotional work like "Chandelier". Others noted it felt like a "whitewashed riddim" that sounded like it belonged to another artist—which, technically, it did.