Jon Pareles from "The New York Times" gave the album a mixed review, writing "In 'Alive,' as she repeats 'I'm still breathing!' in the chorus, she makes her voice break a different way each time she sings it. But Sia's success as a hitmaker has also turned into a pitfall. Even as she and her producers flaunt their layered vocals and whiz-bang sound effects, there are already so many of Sia's midtempo victim-to-victory anthems around that they offer diminishing returns, particularly when listened to as an album." Kathy Iandoli of Idolator was more positive towards the effort, stating that it "feels like the aftermath of coming to terms with her nagging demons, as Sia maintains brutal honesty cloaked in cinematic, mainstream music — albeit through songs that, as we well know by now, were written for and rejected by other artists." She continues: "Her voice is so bold and beautiful that when she attempts to wedge herself into songs designed for thin voices (check "Sweet Design"), she sounds like an opera singer in a dancehall." On a more personal aspect, she writes "feels as though Sia's career has been idyllic thus far to everyone but her. She started in the super cool indie world, moved over to mid-level pop majesty, took a break to be a hit songwriter and then slid into near-icon status. But when you live inside your head, none of that really matters, and that's what This Is Acting reveals." "Billboard" listed "This is Acting" among the best albums of the first half of 2016, with an editor writing "While other artists shudder at the thought of being labeled a sellout, Sia celebrated the moniker – and turned it into a concept album." "This Is Acting" debuted atop the ARIA Albums Chart in Australia, and received a gold certification for sales of over 35,000 copies. It debuted at number four on the US "Billboard" 200 with first-week sales of 81,000 album equivalent units (68,000 in pure album sales), which became Sia's highest sales week in the country. As of 1 January 2017, the album has sold 299,600 copies and 904,000 total equivalent units in the United States. In its 26th week on "Billboard" 200, the album vaulted back into the top 10 for the first time since its debut week, as it rose 11-6 with 30,000 units, supported by the success of the second single "Cheap Thrills", which reached the summit of the "Billboard" Hot 100 at the time.