Inside Music with Melinda Newman

Watch: Green Day's video for 'Last of the American Girls'

Let's party: It's the eve of destruction

By Melinda Newman Thursday, Apr 1, 2010 2:06 PM

Billie Joe Armstrong in "Last of the American Girls"

“Last of the American Girls,” the latest single from “21^st Century Breakdown,” is a great ‘60s-inflected, straight-ahead slice of power pop. It makes you want to put on your go-go boots and dance. Or maybe that's just me.

The video, which premiered on MTV.com today, is one of those high-concept clips that we’re sure means something, but we’ll be darned if we know what it is. The last of the American girls in question is a conspiracy theorist who has a sweet set-up in the desert with a bed, sink, chair, tv, stereo, etc., which must all run on solar power because girlfriend has no walls or electrical outlets. But she does have two, non-speaking, blonde twins who flank her everywhere she goes and even provide support as a chair at one point. Plus, she’s got target practice going on, which comes in handy when she blows up a car later simply by pointing her trigger finger at it (maybe that’s why she’s the last of the American girls… she’s shot everyone else).

Anyway, the video makes no sense, but it doesn’t really have to, and that doesn't mean it's not enjoyable. We dig that the girls aren't scantily clad for no good reason and they seem very capable of taking care of themselves. The narrative is wrapped about a performance by the band, which, by this point, is pretty standard issue for Green Day. The boys know their fans like to see them play. See below for yourself.