Can we talk about Sia? To think about it, I don't know what new music she has out (I just saw this article), and I don't truly care because I still get goosebumps when watching the music video to The Greatest, her single released on September 6, 2016.
I hope this artistic piece received a lot of accolades because from the looks of this video, Sia is not here to play, and she is here to shore up the masses, as she and Maddie profess their indefatigable ways through frenzy, color, and a rhythm that is awakening of the soul.
To look at this music video, you are reminded of the wild, young girl from Chandelier, who now appears to be darker, proud, more tired, but full of support.
In Chandelier, Maddie was young, fresh, bright, and gifted as she danced to Sia's heart-wrenching lyrics. She was also alone. We can see the message in The Greatest is strength in numbers, as Maddie and a whole host of other talented dancers joined to bring us this music video. Indeed, we are greatest we can function as part of a larger picture, we already know.
At the end of the video, there is one particular point where Maddie is caught 'sleeping,' even after she has been encouraging everyone else to keep going despite their tiredness.
When confronted by the cameras, she seems remorseful but she is immediately, joined by four sullen girls, reminding us that friends in the toughest trials in indeed the way that we make it from stage to the next. Not only were they sullen-faced, they were also fierce as they roared forward to keep the camera in check.
...friends in the toughest trials in indeed the way that we make it from stage to the next.
The video begins with Maddie looking exhausted but NOT crying, as she simulated her tears with the rainbow, suggesting either her pride or a turning point in her life. She then spends a few seconds looking at the camera, seeming determined, bare, and fearless.
The next scene shows her very urgently urging on something, all the while to the tune of a high-pitched tone. We see the lifeless bodies of her subjects, and all crumpled about each other. On cue, the music kicks in, and these bodies come alive to it, writhing and lifting to their feet in unison.
It is a captivating moment, as the joy is intrinsic in this picture of people coming alive after a hard struggle and being together to witness it. It is the victory when there is a struggle for all, and this is the type of motivation that we need in these times.
The choreography is genius, and I wonder how many truly appreciate the work that went into this artistic venture. This video toes the race line with a grey face that rightly represents how we sometimes feel: sullen, weary, wanting to be invisible or even wanting another persona. The setting is similarly gloomy to Chandelier, though with less light, a lot more charcoal grey and a bit more space.
The song's refrain of "won't give up" is enough to draw you in, and Sia compounds this emotion by thereafter roaring that she's "free to be the greatest" since she's alive, a very sobering and stimulating truth.
The pipes in this song are stirring, and the melody is an altogether uplifting one that you truly are moved to take in and indeed feel like the greatest alive. The video is very inclusive, with various ages, races, and gender present, giving you the feeling that this is a song for everyone. It is an all-inclusive effort when humanity struggles to get nearer to itself, and The Greatest reminds us that despite the weary days, with song, we are always free to be the greatest ones alive. Goosebumps indeed!
WRITTEN BY
ODETTA FRASER GOD