Sia’s This Is Acting makes a play for Official Albums Chart top spot

She might be acting up, but Sia isn’t messing about on this week’s Official Albums Chart as her new album heads for this week’s top spot.

The album – a collection of songs penned by Aussie star that were ‘rejected’ by pop superstars including Rihanna and Beyonce – has a lead of 4,000 combined sales on today’s Update over David Bowie retrospective Best Of Bowie, which climbs to 2.

MORE: Check out the full Top 100 Official Albums Chart Update

Charlie Puth lands at Number 3 with his debut album Nine Track Mind, and following its surprise release last week, Rihanna’s ANTi starts at 4. At this halfway stage, just 210 combined sales separate the two records.

MORE: Find out what Rihanna's 40 biggest selling singles are

Meanwhile, completing this week’s Update Top 5 is David Bowie’s Blackstar.

New entries and high climbers

US metal band Dream Theatre are on course to land their highest-charting collection yet with their 13^th album The Astonishing, currently at Number 7, and Bloc Party are at 10 with their fifth album Hymns.

Scottish band Runrig start at Number 15 with their new album The Story, British indie rockers Turin Brakes open at 23 with Lost Property, and metalcore band Bury Tomorrow’s fourth album Earthbound lands at 27.  

Elsewhere, two Phil Collins albums are heading for this week’s Top 40; a re-issue of 1981’s Face Value is at 33, and his new hits package Take A Look At Me Now is at 35.

Finally, Avantasia’s Ghostlights (34) and Walking On Cars’ Everything This Way (39) could also earn a place in this week’s Official Albums Chart Top 40.

See this week's full Top 100 Official Albums Chart Update