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In his first solo video, Stump gets positive, grabs the spotlight for himself. By James Montgomery Patrick Stump in his music video for “Spotlight (Oh Nostalgia)” Photo: Island Last week, Patrick Stump told MTV News that his brand-new Truant Wave EP wasn’t ” Take This to Your Grave, Part II, ” and if the 23rd-century pop&B sonics of the thing weren’t enough to convince you of that fact, well, then perhaps his “Spotlight (Oh Nostalgia)” video will. Because the clip — which premiered Monday (February 28) on PopDust — is most certainly a departure from everything he did in his former (they’re still on hiatus , right?) band Fall Out Boy. That’s mostly because, unlike basically every late-period FOB vid, it’s not cluttered with questionable plot devices, winking in-jokes and cloying promotional shots. Instead, it’s a sunny, simple, homemade thing — a straightforward, decidedly uplifting bit of DIY inspiration. In short, it may very well be the best video Stump’s ever been associated with. Shot in dreamlike slo-mo, the video showcases a host of kids excelling at various feats — skateboarding, extreme pogo-sticking, urban gymnastics, sticking their tongue out really far — and, in the process, becoming the kings and queens of their own little kingdoms. That message gibes with the hook of the song (basically that you can “be your own spotlight,” no matter how inconsequential your talents) and, when coupled with the youthful exuberance of the video’s stars, the end result is a truly captivating, unapologetically positive experience. And it bears mention that, throughout the video, Stump appears to be experiencing the same posi-vibes as the kids he’s surrounded by. Whether he’s trying (and failing miserably) to match the cup-stacking talents of one of his co-stars or simply drifting through a skate park belting out the song’s hook, he seems — for the first time in a long time — to be completely unencumbered, free of whatever burden you’ve probably assigned to him and content to just do his own thing. He cracks up. He smiles. He’s doing this his own way. And in that regard, the “Spotlight” video is also a success, because it shows Stump following his own advice. By stepping out as a solo artist, he’s grabbing his own spotlight, becoming the ruler of his very own kingdom. This is the video he’d longed to make — free and clear and straight from the heart. It’s not Take This to Your Grave, Part II because it wasn’t supposed to be. As a video, it’s something much better. What do you think of Patrick Stump’s first solo video? Let us know in the comments! Related Artists Patrick Stump

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Patrick Stump’s ‘Spotlight’ Video: The Kids Are All Right