After being nominated for a fistful of Grammys, Sia isn't about to rest on her laurels, even if she needs Little Orphan Annie to do most of the work for her.
The “Chandelier” singer/songwriter plays an integral part in the soundtrack to the upcoming “Annie” remake, and for the album's first single, Sia offers up her own unique take on the familiar jam “You're Never Fully Dressed Without a Smile.” Stripped of all its Dixieland-via-Broadway trappings, “Smile” becomes a tropical-flavored dance jam in Sia's hands.
The video for the song finds “Annie” star Quvenzhané Wallis and her pint-sized pals running around NYC, trying to coax smiles and high-fives from busy New York types.
What begins as irresistibly cute grows more and more sinister as the relentlessly upbeat and unceasingly cheery video rapidly turns into a giant, city-sized ad for “Annie,” culminating in a visit to “Good Morning America,” a cameo from co-star Bobby Cannavale, and a shot of a huge “Annie” wraparound covering a city bus. It's sort of like “Too Many Cooks,” but with a more radio-friendly theme song. Still, it's hard not to smile at least once.
Watch it here:
Here's the 1982 film version, for comparison's sake:
Additionally, Sia worked with producer/songwriter Greg Kurstin to come up with new arrangements on the musical's familiar songs, including “I Think I'm Gonna Like It Here” and “Little Girls,” in addition to new songs like “Opportunity,” “Who Am I,” and “Moonquake Lake,” which features an appearance from Beck.
“Annie” also stars Jamie Foxx, Cameron Diaz, and Rose Byrne, while Jay Z produced the film and oversaw the soundtrack.
Last week, Sia picked up four Grammy nominations for her smash song “Chadelier” and her album “1000 Forms Of Fear.”
“Annie” opens December 19.