Katy Perry has premiered the official music video for her second Prism single “Unconditionally,” and this thing is a scorcher. The elegant, gorgeous clip got its debut on MTV on Tuesday, Nov. 19 in between episodes of the life-scarring show Teen Mom 3.
Unlike many of Perry’s more recent videos (“Roar,” “Wide Awake,” “Part Of Me”), the visual for “Unconditionally” follows no real narrative line. In an interview with Iggy Azalea that aired immediately following the debut, Perry revealed that the clip is meant to take places in an era-less time and was inspired by glossy film adaptations of Dangerous Liaisons and Anna Karenina.
Indeed, the music video clearly draws from those lavish movies. Stunning imagery of an ornate ball with different sorts of love being depicted in the middle of the action take the center stage in the video. There’s also a burning bed, snowy scenes and an epic owl.
The most epic moment of the video occurs when Perry gets hit by a vintage car and instead of being taken down by the 1950s vehicle, the metal bends around the pop diva. Perry described that pinnacle moment as a metaphor for love, which “sometimes hits you like a car.”
It’s clear that Perry feels strongly, and those emotions translate seamlessly to this video, which is one of Perry’s strongest offerings to date.
Watch the music video for Katy Perry’s “Unconditionally” below or over at MTV.com.
