The new music video for Sia's "Alive" arrived Thursday, and as per tradition, the artist chose a young, wig-adorned performer to star in her stead.
The video for the track --- off her forthcoming album "This Is Acting" -- features 9-year-old Mahiro Takano, a Japanese mixed martial artist, actor and dancer. According to Entertainment Weekly, Sia got in touch with Takano after seeing her popular videos on YouTube. One clip in particular of Takano practicing Kankudai became a viral sensation back in 2014, raking in close to 5 million views.
Takano is not the first highly skilled child to jump to new levels of fame after appearing in a Sia music video. Thirteen-year-old dancer and actor Maddie Ziegler, who first entered the pop culture landscape on the hit reality show "Dance Moms," gained widespread acclaim after starring in the 2014 video for Sia's "Chandelier" "(which currently has over 965 million views on YouTube). Ziegler went on to appear in Sia spots for "Elastic Heart" (her performance alongside Shia LaBeouf sparking concerns about pedophilia among viewers) and "Big Girls Cry." Earlier this year, she made a splash in the non-reality TV world with a guest-starring dance spot on "Pretty Little Liars."
If Ziegler's ever-growing star power is any indication, this is just the beginning of what we'll see from Mahiro Takano. In the meantime, join us in watching this "Alive" video on repeat.
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