Sadie Sink Reveals The Song That Could Get Her Out Of The Upside Down
Hello. This is a spoiler warning for "Stranger Things" season 4, specifically episode 4, "Dear Billy." You have been warned.
Music has always been important in the world of "Stranger Things," but the soundtrack to season 4 wouldn't be the same without Kate Bush's "Running Up That Hill (A Deal With God)." Max (Said Sink) has been through a lot after last season's battle at Starcourt Mall which resulted in the death of her stepbrother Billy, and one of the ways she's found solace through it all has been music. "Running Up That Hill" off of Bush's "Hounds of Love" album is Max's favorite song, and the power of Kate Bush shows up in a big way at the end of "Dear Billy." Max finds herself the target of Vecna, who, in a very Freddy Krueger-esque manner, gets into the subconscious of his victims, torturing them in the Upside Down while horrified onlookers watch as their loved ones' bodies distort and perish before their eyes, unable to stop it.
Thanks to some trusty detective work by Nancy (Natalia Dyer) and Robin (Maya Hawke), the gang learns that music can help bring people in Vecna's clutches back to reality, not unlike the way The Clash's "Should I Stay or Should I Go" was utilized in the first season to connect Will Byers to his friends on the other side. As soon as Max can hear "Running Up That Hill" through her headphones, she's able to open a portal out of the Upside Down and run to safety. As for actress Sadie Sink, she has a musical anchor of her own.
Sadie Sink is a Swiftie
During an interview with Tudum, which is somehow still a thing, Sink revealed that the song that could bring her out of the Upside Down was "august" by none other than Taylor Swift. Sink starred as a young version of Taylor Swift's "Her" avatar in the short musical film "All Too Well: The Short Film" last year, so it should be a surprise to no one that T-Swift's music resonates with the actor. "That song honestly can revive me from anything," Sink told Tudum, but also confessed that Swift's song "The 1" was her most listened-to song according to last year's Spotify Wrapped.
When asked about how she approached the two roles, she noted that Max and Her were both entirely different, connected only by the appearance of Sink. "It's tricky because they're such different situations," Sink said. For one thing, Max is dealing with supernatural forces constantly trying to destroy the world and kill her friends while Her is dealing with a tumultuous relationship with Him, played by Dylan O'Brien ("The Maze Runner," "Teen Wolf"). "I put a little bit of myself into both," said Sink. "You're always going to put a little bit of yourself into whatever character you're playing."