Sia's "The Greatest" Vid Is Her Most Powerful Yet

Sia’s video for her latest single “The Greatest” is finally here, and this one is powerful. Not only does the video include the usual stunning scenery and dancing that has been known to grace the screen of some of Sia’s past videos, but there is an important, hugely moving message behind it that makes it even more of a must-see. Instead of just stunning fans visually with her video, Sia seems to have taken things one step further by paying homage to the victims of the Orlando shooting and the terrible tragedy that happened there that June night. The video’s details, stunning choreography, and telling sets all point to this being one of Sia's most powerful clips yet, and you might not be able to watch it with a dry eye.

There have been many memorials to the victims of the Orlando shooting since the tragedy occurred, and Sia’s video is as moving and heartfelt as the many tributes that have come before it. In the clip, Sia’s go-to dancer, Maddie Ziegler, returns to find herself on a similar set to the one where “Chandelier” was shot, but this time she is not alone. 49 young dancers, whom she appears to bring back to life, join Ziegler in her dancing. The 49 dancers seen in the video appear to represent the 49 victims of the Orlando shooting at Pulse nightclub. Their faces covered in gray paint, the dancers are brought into what looks like a club with disco balls and rainbow lights spinning from the ceiling.

But it’s at the video's end when the harrowing message becomes even more apparent. In one last moment, the camera zooms out as the group dances in place. Then, in one sudden motion, they all fall to the ground, the light from the outside pouring in through what appear to be bullet holes behind them. It’s a stunning image, one that, coupled with the song's lyrics about not giving up, evoke the strong image of the lives that were lost on that tragic evening in Orlando.

Sia has not explicitly said the video is about Orlando, but when the camera zooms in on Ziegler’s crying face, her cheeks stained with what look like rainbow tears, the homage to the tragedy seems too clear to ignore. It’s a powerful video, one that captures the gravity of what was done that night, and one that everyone should watch.

Image: SiaVEVO/YouTube (2)