Synopsis

The Human League perform "Human" against a dreamlike, blue-tinted backdrop that resembles rippling water. Phil Oakey, Joanne Catherall and Susanne Sulley appear in close-up, with their images layered, reflected and blended through chroma-key effects. The video emphasizes the song's intimate, remorseful mood rather than presenting a conventional narrative. Oakey's solo passages alternate with images of the trio, reinforcing the group's newly streamlined identity as a three-member vocal unit.

Factoids & Trivia

• The video was filmed in London in June 1986, primarily in a studio using chroma-key overlay techniques.

• Its blue palette and liquid-looking reflections give the performance an intentionally fluid, almost underwater appearance.

• "Human" was the first Human League video to present Phil Oakey, Joanne Catherall and Susanne Sulley as the group's central trio.

• The video uses the shorter single version of the song rather than the longer album recording.

• The song marked a major stylistic shift for the band, pairing their synth-pop identity with the Minneapolis R&B production of Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis.

• In 2003, a separate video was made for the "Chinese Whispers" remix. It reused the 1986 footage and combined it with Chinese-inspired imagery, including water lilies, silhouetted reeds and Chinese characters.

• The original video's restrained studio concept contrasts with several of the band's earlier promotional films, which used more elaborate locations and narrative setups.