Music

Sia Has Apologised To Anyone Who Felt Triggered By Her Shia LaBeouf Music Video

"My intention was to create some emotional content, not to upset anybody."

by Meg Watson  8 January 2015

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Okay, we’ve already written about this video once today, but how often do we see Shia LaBeouf strip down to a pair of beige lyrca shorts and perform a manic dance-fight in a cage with a 12-year-old girl dressed as Sia? Not nearly enough.

Despite an overwhelmingly positive if not somewhat bewildered response to the video, ‘Elastic Heart‘, the much-loved Australian singer has since apologised for the clip this afternoon.

siaapology

Although most of her followers were quick to post praise about the artistic merit of the work, it’s hardly surprising that a video of a near-naked grown man locked up in a cage with a pre-teen girl has attracted some criticism. Never mind the fact that man is professional creeper and actual cannibal Shia LaBeouf. Sia’s apology comes in response to thoughts like these:

inappropriate

https://twitter.com/femincyst/status/553020095853645824

It’s the same kind of backlash that the singer faced when releasing her Grammy-nominated ‘Chandelier‘ clip earlier this year. In that, the same young actress/dancer Maddie Ziegler dances in the same beige leotard. Both videos were also directed by Australian filmmaker Daniel Askill, however in ‘Chandelier’ the dancer appears on her own.

It’s undoubtedly because of this that Sia expected some controversy.

Ruling out the characters as representations of her and her father or any kind of sexual relationship — articles like ‘20 Times Sia’s ‘Elastic Heart’ Video Made Me Feel (In My Pants’)‘ probably didn’t help her make the case for that one — Sia claims the actors are playing versions of herself. It’s also been announced that a behind the scenes video will be released next week to make this creative concept a little more clear.

Necessary or not, her apology is nothing if not considerate. Personally, we’re not too offended. The more dance exorcisms that Shia LaBeouf performs before re-entering civilised society, the better.