Christina Perri’s A Machine In “Human” Video: Watch

Singer-songwriter Christina Perri focuses on one lyric off “Human” in particular for its stark video, released January 3. “I can turn it on, be a good machine,” she sings. “I can hold the weight of worlds, if that’s what you need / Be your everything.” As in the song though, she buckles under the pressure — to stunning results.

Directed by Elliott Sellers, “Human” first shows Perri on a platform, as if under inspection. Fluorescent lights flicker, playing up rhythm of the song’s metallic loops and revealing one body part at a time to be bionic: an arm, a leg, her ribcage. When she leaves her platform though, tattoos start to surface on her skin, a sly nod to when she sings “And I bleed when I fall down” at the dramatic hook.

Perri, best known for her 2010 debut “Jar of Hearts,” will release her sophomore album Head or Heart on March 11; “Human,” produced by Martin Johnson (Gavin DeGraw, Avril Lavigne) is its first single. For now, see her transformation up top.

Get an eyeful of even more pop music coverage, from artist interviews to exclusive performances, on Idolator’s YouTube channel.