Sia Reflects On Her Goal Of Protecting And Empowering Maddie Ziegler
Although she has written on some of the biggest anthems in recent memory, Sia remains one of the most mysterious pop stars. Citing previous toxic experiences with the spotlight, the Australian hitmaker has made the conscious decision not to show her face in public. She hides behind a supersized wig and does not appear on her album covers or in her music videos. In her absence, she has relied on others to stand in for her, most notably 15-year-old dancer Maddie Ziegler.
The pair have worked together extensively since Maddie appeared in Sia’s “Chandelier” music video in 2014. Recently, the relationship caught the attention of Bonnie Malkin, a writer for The Guardian. After watching the pair perform together at an Australian stop on her Nostalgic For The Present Tour, she penned an article that questioned the 41-year-old’s decision to expose a teen to the spotlight she shuns.
“Where Furler was hidden, Maddie was exposed. Where Furler was still, Maddie was moving. Where the singer was in darkness, the child was in the spotlight. Where Furler’s face and body was carefully hidden from the eyes of a stadium full of strangers, Maddie’s face and body was offered up instead,” she wrote. She concluded the article critically, writing “Furler herself might not be willing to marry fame but standing on the stage in front of us, she seemed to be officiating another marriage. Not to a ‘perfect blank slate’ but…