Synopsis

Sia performs "Buttons" in a deliberately chaotic close-up video that turns her face into a constantly changing visual prop. As she sings, tape, clothespins, stockings, plastic wrap, string and other household items pull, cover and distort her features, creating a comic but increasingly uncomfortable series of expressions. The playful performance matches the song's bright pop surface while contrasting it with images of restriction and self-inflicted absurdity. The video ends as another experiment in facial transformation, leaving Sia's identity almost completely hidden beneath the props.

Factoids & Trivia

• The video's central idea came from an image of a person whose face had been taped to resemble a pig. The concept was originally discussed for another performer before Sia adopted the approach for herself.

• Sia said the only items she personally brought to the shoot were condoms and a fake-hair moustache. Other materials used in the video included tape, clothespins, plastic wrap, stockings and string.

• During filming, Sia could not use a conventional mirror to check the makeup and facial constructions. Instead, a laptop's Photo Booth application was used so she could see the character being created.

• The shoot was emotionally demanding. Kris Moyes later recalled that Sia cried frequently after the first day, despite her willingness to surrender control of her appearance for the performance.

• "Buttons" was a hidden track after "Lullaby" on the international edition of Some People Have Real Problems, while it appeared as a regular track on the Australian edition.

• The video drew substantial attention for its contrast between an upbeat song and imagery involving facial restriction and distortion, helping make "Buttons" one of the most recognizable videos from Sia's pre-mainstream period.