That’s the video for “Hold On”, the first single off of KT Tunstall’s new album Drastic Fantastic (KT, btw, is my favorite singer right now; that’s right, suck it Paolo Nutini, I will not grant you your last request.). I’m not entirely sure what to make of the video. It’s either a devilishly smart way to hip up her folk routine and get her music out to the types of listeners who would reject her genre on merit, or it’s a deviously merciless parody of every female pop singer with personality ADD. But whatever it is, it rocks. It rocks all socks. It rocks the house, the kasbah and the vote. Basically, it’s totally ninja.

I’m gonna guess it’s a combination of the two choices. I saw her in concert at the Key Club last year and she had a great perspective about the industry, clearly enjoying her success but smirking at the ridiculousness of it all. She’s never been on of those ardent Lilith Fair singers who acted above it all (ahem, Sarah McLachlin), nor decried making poppier sounding music when her career called for it (cough Liz Phair cough). At the concert she gushed about standing with Justin Timberlake and Christina Aguilera at a photo shoot, without at all mentioning the fact that she could music them under the table. This is a girl whose clearly aware that being self-aware does not preclude her from being a good person.

In the video I caught references to clips from Gwen (bite me, Harajuku Girls), XTina, Britney, P. Diddy, Justin, that aborted Jewel makeover where she showed her ass in a fireman’s outfit, Moby, Fergie, Janet, Avril, J.Lo, and pre-breakdown Mariah, and I haven’t spent more than five minutes on MTV since before The Real World and Road Rules knew what an Inferno even was. The damn thing has everything and the kitchen sink thrown in, backed by a great mid-tempo beat, cool lyrics and an attitude thats just a bit edgier than the stuff on “Eye To The Telescope”. I’m tempted to hate it because my little down-to-earth folk singer is suddenly doing choreography with background dancers in front of a giant lit-up KT sign, but then I see that mischevious smirk on her face and know she’s not serious about any of it. Plus, hello, she does the robot in silver spandex and thin lense 80’s sun-g’s. How can I not love this video?

I’m feverishly anticipating her new record (Drastic Fantastic, due out on Sept. 18th), and fascinated by who else she’s gonna have a laugh at in her next video. Can I suggest something in a Carrie Underwood / American Idol? I have been able to stop humming “Before He Cheats” since before it got hot, and I’m about ready to shoot somebody. So I dug my keys into the side of his pretty little souped up four wheel drive… DAMMIT!

Bangarang!