Sia Questions if She Threw Maddie Ziegler ‘to the Wolves’
Sia has never been shy about how much she adores Maddie Ziegler. The Australian native was a fan of the actor way back in her Dance Moms days. According to Sia, Ziegeler’s solos left her feeling incredibly emotional. This led to Sia reaching out to the then 11-year-old Ziegler on Twitter to see if she’d be interested in playing her in the music video for her hit song, “Chandelier.”
Sia and Maddie Ziegler continue to collaborate years after the success of the ‘Chandelier’ music video
Of course, Sia’s admiration of Ziegler only increased when they worked together on Chandelier. The “Cheap Thrills” singer recalls that she was moved to tears the first time she met Ziegler, likening the experience to a mother giving birth to her first child. Sia felt so moved by Ziegler’s performance that she wanted to continue working with her time and time again.
Ziegler and Sia’s collaboration has proved to be long-standing. They’ve toured together, recorded countless music videos, and performed live on talk shows, award shows, and more. The Fallout actor also portrayed the titular role in Sia’s directorial film debut, Music. Sia has even shared that she has no desire to work with another dancer. But even though Ziegler has been openly appreciative of the opportunities Sia has given her, the singer admits that she has mixed feelings about her contributions to Ziegler’s fame.
The ‘Unstoppable’ singer wonders if she threw the ‘Dance Moms’ alum to the wolves
Fans of Sia know that she has shied away from fame. In fact, a big part of why she often donned a massive wig was to protect her private identity. However, in many ways, Ziegler became the recognizable face that was synonymous with Sia. In a conversation with Sirius XM’s Fierce Women in Music, Sia got candid about this phenomenon.
“I have had a lot of uncomfortable talks with myself about, you know, not wanting to be famous, and then did I throw Maddie to the wolves, you know?” Sia questioned. “And I can honestly say I didn’t think that Chandelier would be as successful as it was. But I talked to her about it, and every time we ever do a project together, I talk to her. I say, ‘Do you want to do this? How are you dealing with fame?’ You know she’s been famous since she was 6 years old, and she’s actually relatively comfortable with it.”
Sia goes out of her way to provide Ziegler with protection
It would be more accurate to say that Ziegler has been well-known since she was eight years old since that was when Dance Moms aired. Still, the Bloody Hell actor’s work with Sia certainly catapulted her into new levels of fame. Because of this, Sia makes sure that she uses her money and resources to shield her frequent collaborator from fame.
“I also am fiercely protective of Maddie,” Sia shared. “I provide her 24-hour security because I feel responsible for her ensuing fame.” Clearly, Sia has thought a lot about how she’s played a role in Ziegler’s fame. But the 20-year-old seems to be taking her recognition in stride.
