Honestly, if you were anywhere near a screen in 2014, you remember the blonde bob. It was everywhere. A pre-teen girl in a tan leotard, sprinting through a derelict apartment, kicking walls, and making faces that were—frankly—a little terrifying. That was the first sia video with maddie ziegler, and it didn't just go viral; it basically rewrote the rules for what a music video could actually be.
Before "Chandelier," music videos were mostly about the artist looking cool or a literal interpretation of the lyrics. Sia Furler changed that by not showing up at all. Instead, she gave us Maddie Ziegler. At the time, Maddie was just a standout kid from Dance Moms, but the moment that video dropped, she became the face of a generation's collective anxiety and artistic longing.
The Day Everything Changed for Pop Music
It's weird to think about now, but Sia actually found Maddie on Twitter. She was a fan of the show and reached out to the 11-year-old’s team. No big casting call. No corporate meddling. Just a gut feeling.
When "Chandelier" hit YouTube, it was like a lightning bolt. Ryan Heffington’s choreography was weird. It wasn't "pretty" dance; it was animalistic and raw. People didn't know whether to be impressed or uncomfortable. That tension is exactly why it racked up over 2.8 billion views. You've got this kid performing "drunk" movements and swinging from curtains, acting out the downward spiral of an adult she’s never even met. It was heavy stuff.
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Why "Elastic Heart" Almost Broke the Internet
Then came the "Elastic Heart" era. This is where things got complicated. Sia put a 12-year-old Maddie in a cage with a 28-year-old Shia LaBeouf.
The backlash was instant. People on Twitter were screaming about "pedophilia overtones" because both performers were in nude-colored outfits and, well, they were touching. It was a mess. Sia ended up apologizing on social media, explaining that Maddie and Shia were meant to represent "warring Sia self-states."
If you actually watch the video without the "outrage goggles" on, it’s clearly not sexual. It’s a battle. It’s a daughter and a father, or a person and their past self, or just two feral creatures trying to escape a cage. Maddie actually said in an interview with ET back then that her only real complaint was that Shia’s hygiene was a bit... lacking. She called him "kinda dirty." To her, it was just work. To the world, it was a cultural firestorm.
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More Than Just One Video
Most people think it was just those two, but the sia video with maddie ziegler partnership actually spans several projects. Each one has its own vibe:
- Big Girls Cry: This one is just a close-up of Maddie’s face. No big jumps. No cages. Just her hands and her expressions. It's probably the most underrated of the bunch because it proves Maddie was a great actress before she ever set foot on a movie set.
- Cheap Thrills: A complete 180. It’s fun, it’s 60s-inspired, and it’s one of the few times the choreography feels "happy."
- The Greatest: This one still gives me chills. Released in 2016, it featured 49 dancers (including Maddie) and was widely recognized as a tribute to the victims of the Pulse nightclub shooting in Orlando. The ending, where everyone falls to the ground in a room full of bullet holes, is haunting.
The Ethics of "The Muse"
As the years went on, people started asking some tough questions. The Guardian even ran a piece asking if it was ethical for Sia—who famously hides her face because she hates fame—to push a child into that same spotlight.
Sia actually addressed this, saying she checks in with Maddie weekly to see if she wants to stop. But there's a certain irony there, right? You're too shy to be famous, so you make a kid the most famous face in the world. It’s a valid critique. However, Maddie has always defended the relationship, basically saying Sia is like family. She’s even the godmother to Maddie’s younger sister.
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What’s the Legacy in 2026?
Looking at it from where we are now in 2026, the impact is undeniable. Maddie isn't just "the girl from the Sia videos" anymore. She’s a legitimate actress, starring in things like West Side Story and The Fallout. But those videos were her bootcamp. They taught her how to convey world-ending emotion without saying a single word.
For Sia, these videos allowed her to become a superstar while remaining a ghost. It was a brilliant, if controversial, piece of branding.
Key Takeaways for Your Next Rewatch
If you’re heading back to YouTube to dive into these again, keep these things in mind to get the most out of the experience:
- Watch the facial expressions: In "Big Girls Cry," Maddie goes through about 20 different emotions in three minutes. It’s a masterclass in micro-expressions.
- Look for the "Siaisms": The blonde bob, the oversized bows, and the erratic movements are all visual shorthand for Sia’s internal world.
- Context matters: When watching "The Greatest," remember the 49 dancers represent the 49 lives lost in Orlando. It changes the entire energy of the dance.
- Notice the cinematography: Most of these were directed by Daniel Askill. The way he uses empty space and "dead" colors makes Maddie’s movements pop even more.
The sia video with maddie ziegler era was a specific moment in time where pop music got weird, artsy, and deeply personal all at once. We probably won't see a collaboration that defining for a long time. It was the perfect storm of a songwriter who wanted to hide and a dancer who was ready to be seen.
Next Steps for You: Check out the "Chandelier" behind-the-scenes footage to see how they actually rigged the room for those stunts. It’s surprisingly low-tech for such a high-impact video. You can also look up Ryan Heffington’s other work; he’s the secret sauce that made these videos feel so unlike anything else on MTV or Vevo at the time.