Blond wigs and surreal dance solos seem to be a trend in pop music this spring. None have used these elements as symbolically, however, as Lena Dunham performing an interpretive dance to Sia’s new single “Chandelier” on Late Night with Seth Meyers. The wig mirrors Sia’s own blond bob, which facelessly adorns the cover of her new album 1000 Forms of Fear.
In the feminist community especially, we’re all aware of the controversy surrounding Dunham, star and creator of the hit HBO series Girls. As such, it’s nice to see her do something completely carefree without any loaded expectations from the audience. At the very least, I’ve always thought this about Lena Dunham: she has massive balls–well, figuratively. She’s totally committed to putting herself on the line, no matter how silly or offensive or bad anyone thinks she looks.
Not that she looks bad; she looks awesome! On top of the blond wig, she sports an all-white suit and white patent shoes. According to some the dance was “carefully choreographed” but it seemed more like she was just fooling around with props on the sound stage, following rough guidelines. I’m not really sure what any of it means, especially the use of toilet paper. I think I kind of got the part where she punches cardboard standees: I’m not a carrot! I’m not a stick man! I’m not a big black tear (or whatever that is supposed to be)!
The performance ends with Lena cuddling on top of a bunk bed with Sia, who has been lying up there singing into a microphone the whole time, which is my favorite part, maybe aside from the moment right before when Lena straddles Sia. The song is super fun too, all the dramatic vocals and quirky electronic flair we’ve come to expect from Sia. Tell us what you think of this surprise collaboration in the comments below.
