"Never Give Up" is a song recorded by

Sia Sia Kate Isobelle Furler ( ; born 18 December 1975) is an Australian singer and songwriter. Born and raised in Adelaide, she started her career as a singer in the acid jazz band Crisp in the mid-1990s. In 1997, when Crisp disbanded, she rel ...

, from the soundtrack of the

Garth Davis Garth Davis (born 1974) is an Australian television, advertising and film director, best known for directing the film ''Lion'' (2016), and the film ''Mary Magdalene'', written by Helen Edmundson. He earlier directed episodes of the series '' T ...

-directed film, '' Lion'' (2016). Written by Sia and her producer

Greg Kurstin Gregory Allen Kurstin (born May 14, 1969) is an American record producer, multi-instrumentalist, and songwriter. He has won nine Grammy Awards, including Producer of the Year, Non-Classical in 2017 and 2018, and written and produced four songs ...

, the song was released on 18 November 2016. It was nominated for a

Grammy Award The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pr ...

for Best Song Written For Visual Media. It is an electropop ballad, with influences of

Indian Music Owing to India's vastness and diversity, Indian music encompasses numerous genres in multiple varieties and forms which include classical music, folk (Bollywood), rock, and pop. It has a history spanning several millennia and developed ove ...

Critical reception

Jon Blistein from ''

Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first known for its ...

'' called it an "inspirational anthem." Sam Murphy from ''

Music Feeds ''Music Feeds'' is a free bi-weekly digital music and lifestyle magazine ( street press) established in 2008 and based in Sydney, Australia. It is distributed electronically every second Tuesday, with additional material posted on the website ...

'' said, "Sia taps into the Indian roots of the film by delivering a Bollywood vibe beneath her characteristically sunny undertones." Lars Brandle in '' Billboard'' described it as a "powerful and uplifting" number. The song was nominated for a

for Best Song Written for Visual Media.

Lyric video

An accompanying lyric video was released on 3 January 2017. Inspired by the plot of the film, the clip follows a child and an older child with their faces shrouded, wearing half-blonde and -black Sia wigs, searching for each other in a deserted and ominous train station. As the video progresses, the kids reunite, scale a steely locomotive and follow the tracks out of the station and into the night. The song's lyrics appear spray-painted on various surfaces in the yard. Reviewing the clip, ''

Vibe ''Vibe'' is an American music and entertainment magazine founded by producers David Salzman and Quincy Jones. The publication predominantly features R&B and hip hop music artists, actors and other entertainers. After shutting down producti ...

'' staff wrote that the singer "envisioned a journey of hope and faith between two conjoined souls in the visual experience."

Credits

Adapted from '' Lion (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)'' album liner.'' Lion (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)''. Various artists including Sia. Scored by Dustin O'Halloran and Hauschka.

Sony Classical Sony Classical is an American record label founded in 1924 as Columbia Masterworks Records, a subsidiary of Columbia Records. In 1980, the Columbia Masterworks label was renamed as CBS Masterworks Records. The CBS Records Group was acquired by ...

The Weinstein Company The Weinstein Company (usually credited or abbreviated as TWC) was an American independent film studio, founded in New York City by Bob and Harvey Weinstein in March 2005. TWC was one of the largest mini-major film studios in North America pri ...

. Cat no. 88985400442. Track 1 "Never Give Up" appears courtesy of Monkey Puzzle Records. *Chris Allgood – assistant mastering *Julian Burg – engineer *Sia Furler – lead and background vocals *Alex Pasco – engineer *Greg Kurstin – mixing, engineer, producer, tambura anpura keyboards, drums, programming, percussion *Emily Lazar – mastering

Charts

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

Certifications

References

External links

* {{authority control 2016 singles 2016 songs Sia (musician) songs Song recordings produced by Greg Kurstin Songs about suicide Songs written by Sia (musician) Songs written by Greg Kurstin Songs written for films