Just because she's young, pretty and appeals to a Top 40 demographic doesn't mean Natasha Bedingfield is a mere pop tart.

No, the London-born singer possesses significant pipes to complement her engaging personality, and last night at The National, about 800 fans blissfully sang along with nearly every song of her brisk 85-minute set.

Though the sound was muddy for the opening "Piece of Your Heart," it cleared up a few songs later in time for her first hit, "These Words." With her four-piece band providing a credible funk undercurrent, the comely Bedingfield bopped around the stage in her black high heels and sleeveless black dress, smiling and touching fingertips with the throng of young girls crammed at the front of the stage.

Though she could ax the irritating "whoo!'s" that punctuated the air in between lyrics (did she watch too many Shania Twain concerts?), and the atmospheric ballad "Soulmate" sometimes suffered from her sharp upper register, Bedingfield nonetheless impressed most of the night.

At 26, she's old enough to sing about female empowerment ("Single") and romantic confusion ("Say It Again") convincingly, but youthful enough that 15-year-old girls relate to her. She's a lot like a camp counselor with a cool accent.

About halfway through the show, Bedingfield let her hair down -- literally -- and immediately skated into "Wild Horses," accompanied only by her keyboardist. While her voice soared, the treacly ballad was an unfortunate reminder that as potent as her radio hits have been, there are many generic tunes lurking in her two-album repertoire.

Her rousing take on Madonna's "Ray of Light" -- a tune she says she "fell in love with" -- proved, however, that she's capable of reinvention. For this one, her band blasted the synth-heavy track with blazing rock guitars, while Bedingfield's own Debbie Harry-like rasp gave it a fresh edge.

For her other hits -- the pure pop escapism of "Pocketful of Sunshine," the nursery rhyme melody of "This Love" and the inescapably catchy "Unwritten" -- Bedingfield stalked the stage like a polished pro.

She's got all of the ingredients to remain a compelling pop star. Let's see how long it lasts.
Contact Melissa Ruggieri at (804) 649-6120 or mruggieri@timesdispatch.com.