Katy Perry Unveils ‘Unconditionally’ Video, Director Attempts To Explain It
Did you watch the music video for the Katy Perry tune “Unconditionally”? Did you thoroughly grasp what was happening? Don’t worry your pretty head about it — the clip’s director is here to help you understand what in the world is going on.
The music video for Perry’s latest single is more than a little abstract. Burning beds, car accidents, friendly owls, fancy dancers in elaborate ballrooms — it’s all in there. If you’re a fan of the singer’s work, then this sort of off-kilter experience shouldn’t come as a huge surprise. After all, Perry loves making odd videos.
“When she sings this song she doesn’t sing it lightly. This love that she speaks of is like a force of nature, epic storm and a tempest, and that’s definitely something I wanted to capture,” director Brent Bonacorso explained to the folks at MTV News.
Since Katy Perry was reportedly inspired by Dangerous Liaisons and Anna Karenina, the filmmaker attempted to work those influences into the clip. If you haven’t seen the “Unconditionally” video yet, then take a good look at the video embedded towards the end of this article before moving on.
Bonacorso said the car accident sequence came about after he described the sensation of falling in love as getting creamed by an automobile. After Perry responded positively to this idea, the director decided to incorporate this imagery into the video.
What about the burning bed, you ask? Bonacorso said it’s all about the love that burns inside a person, an emotion that will eventually work it way out.
“And, so she was really identifying with these concepts, and I think perhaps from her own experiences, she felt that those worked for her world and her experiences,” the director said.
Bonacorso added that the tornado symbolizes the joy and color of love while the friendly owl Perry encounters represents strength. The filmmaker also discusses the fact that Perry is in two places at once in the clip, suggesting that some of the video takes place in a dream. In Bonacorso’s opinion, it’s all very “metaphorical.”
Now that the video’s influences and symbols are laid bare, you’re probably wondering, “That’s nice and everything, but how did Katy Perry come up with the song itself?” The award-winning singer recently explained to Entertainment Weekly that the tune was apparently inspired by a recent trip to Africa.
“I went to Madagascar and did a UNICEF trip that changed my life and gave me this song. It’s just a simple message about loving someone and accepting them and kind of driving at you don’t have to be so self-conscious, you don’t have to fear, because essentially, everybody has their stuff,” she explained.
The singer added, “Nobody comes stuff-free. Everybody has their things and you’re never going to be perfect, and accepting that and understanding that, especially in a relationship, it makes room for a real, genuine kind of love.”
Did you enjoy the music video for the Katy Perry song “Unconditionally”?
