15 supremely cinematic music videos that could (and should) be feature films

“Elastic Heart” – Sia

Sia is no stranger to intriguing, conceptual music videos, and when you see dancer Maddie Ziegler, you know something good is about to go down.

In “Elastic Heart”, Sia continued her ongoing collaboration with the former Dance Moms star, who had previously appeared in her videos for “Chandelier” and “Big Girls Cry.” The scene opens with a giant cage in the middle of the room, Shia LaBeouf on one side, Ziegler on the other, facing each other. Both of them are covered in dirt and in nude bodysuits (and Ziegler is wearing her trademark Sia wig). The two dance and fight with each other, contorting their bodies and making strange faces, as is typical in most Sia videos. LaBeouf climbs up the cage and drops down directly over the young dancer who’s lying motionless on the floor.

It’s not immediately clear what the concept is, but you can tell there is some kind of struggle going on between the two characters. At some points they look happy, others angry and confused. The video ends with Ziegler managing to escape the cage while LaBeouf is still stuck and frustrated about not being able to leave as the music fades away and they’re left in silence.

When the video was first released, some critics found it to be inappropriate to show a grown man and a young girl in nude bodysuits getting so close to each other. Others saw it for its artistic intent, and many people came up with their own interpretations. Some said it was meant to represent Sia’s complicated relationship with her own father, though Sia explained that it was meant to represent her inner struggle, two warring “Sia” self-states.

The singer said she anticipated some “pedophilia” accusations, but still apologized on Twitter for anyone who was upset or triggered by the video, stating that she felt Ziegler and LaBeouf were the only people who could play those roles.