Is That Maddie Ziegler Running On Train Tracks In Sia’s New Video?
Sia's latest clip is technically a lyric video for "Never Give Up," but the words are quickly overshadowed by its haunting scene. A young girl — Maddie Ziegler, Stereogum reports — is crouching by a stalled train. She's wearing Sia's signature wig, and no one else is in sight.
The eerie visuals mimic those in Lion, the Golden Globe–nominated film based on the true story of Saroo Brierley, played by Dev Patel. At age 5, he was separated from his family at a train station in India. For months, he walked along train tracks searching for his brother — all to no avail. "Never Give Up," part of its soundtrack, is the perfect reminder to keep going when there's nowhere to go.
Throughout the film, Saroo has nightmares about abandoning his mother. Those are likely the "demons that won't let me sleep" that Sia's singing about in "Never Give Up."
Lion is out now in theaters. If you check it out, make sure you stick around past the first round of credits. Just a hint.