When the video for "Chandelier" by Sia came out, as incredible as it was, it didn't really seem like a candidate to go to the top of the US Pop culture charts. But last night on Saturday Night Live it was bestowed with a dance interpretation by not just the guest, but also the musical guest. The sketch is a halloween party where characters played by Jim Carrey and Kate McKinnon both came dressed as our favorite manic dancer from the "Chandelier" video (Maddie Ziegler), and both were all too ready to have a dance-off that eventually ventured across the entire studio.
This is not the first music video SNL has referenced in a major way - a few years ago they did a sketch parodying the video for "Somebody That I Used To Know," and in 2008 they did a sketch imagining the production of "Single Ladies," but each of those were on a show where the artist from those music videos was the musical guest and took part in the skit. This is the first time I can remember them referencing a music video for such a big skit where the musical guest doesn't play some sort of role. Granted, given Sia's track record, she probably wouldn't have been up for a late night TV walk on bit.
It's a testament to both Ziegler's dancing and Ryan Heffington's choreography that Carrey and McKinnon were able to so accurately mimic the dance moves from the video. Iggy ... well, Iggy tried, God bless her. But the fact that out of all the music videos released in the last year, the video with the little girl in the leotard and wig doing an interpretive dance in a dirty apartment is the one SNL expects everyone to know is pretty interesting.
