Everyone hates ‘Music’: Can a petition cancel Sia and Maddie Ziegler’s movie?
Sorry, Sia . . . we love your music, just not your film Music. You can’t hide behind your famous wigs any longer on this one!
Music is a 2021 musical drama, written & directed by music sensation Sia. Famous for her hit songs like “Chandelier” & “Big Girls Cry”, Sia was able to assemble a pretty solid cast for her directorial debut. This cast includes Kate Hudson (Bride Wars), Leslie Odom Jr. (Hamilton), and frequent music video collaborator Maddie Ziegler.
However, the film, currently available on-demand, has received an overwhelming amount of negative reviews by both fans & critics alike, despite the fact that it has been nominated for multiple Golden Globe awards though this past year of films was quite lackluster due to COVID-19. The film is reportedly so bad that fans have actually started a petition to remove the film from award consideration. What should we make of all this?
Sia & Maddie Ziegler
Sia, a forty-five year old Australian singer, first broke onto the music scene later than most, really having her big breakthrough in 2013 with her album Elastic Heart. The album, which features tracks that included The Weeknd & Diplo, was a huge eye-opener for the world of music, realizing that Sia was much more than just a brilliant songwriter, having penned hits for artists like Beyoncé, Flo Rida, & Rihanna.
Maddie Ziegler, a young dancer who got her start on the reality series Dance Moms, began appearing in many of Sia’s music videos, making the pair a powerhouse among the famous musical tandems of recent memory.
It only made sense that the two would eventually collaborate on future projects outside of music videos . . . we just wish that they didn’t.
Music
Released in Australia in January 2021, followed by the U.S. in February, Music tells the story of Zu (Hudson), a free spirit who’s dealing with a string of bad relationships in her life. While taking up the trade of drug dealing, albeit while sober, Zu becomes the sole guardian of Music (Ziegler), her half estranged teenage sister who suffers from autism.
While Zu struggles at first with all of these new responsibilities, she finds comfort & guidance in her friend & neighbor Ebo (Odom Jr.), who helps Zu realize that the greatest challenges in life are often easier to face when there’s someone you love by your side.
The film also features Kathy Najimy (Hocus Pocus), Ben Schwartz (Parks an&d Rec), & Juliette Lewis (The Other Sister).
Cover your ears
Music has struggled – to say the very least – at finding its audience, currently sitting at an 11% critic rating on Rotten Tomatoes. What’s even worse for this Sia & Maddie Ziegler vehicle? People have actually launched a petition to have the film completely removed from Golden Globe consideration. The petition itself has reached over 65,000 signatures.
The petition reads the following:
“Sia has claimed the movie is a love letter to the autism community, however, the music segments are filled with strobing lights, colors, loud sounds, and quick camera movements, which is very overstimulating. Despite making the movie ‘for’ autistic people, Sia has made it in such a way that a majority of us will be unable to watch it.”
Lucky for Sia, it appears that fans aren’t trying to cancel the singer outright, just her movie, Music. Maddie Ziegler, on the other hand, may not get off so freely, as it’s her portrayal of an autistic teen that has garnered much of the film’s criticism. However, despite the film seemingly failing on many levels, it’s unlikely that the Golden Globes will actually consider removing it from any contention.
I mean, what will they replace it with? Eurovision Song Contest?
