Bieber lets fans in on the joke after elaborate viral stunt to promote his new clip with Nicki Minaj. By Jocelyn Vena
Justin Bieber in his "Beauty and a Beat" music video Photo: Universal Music Group
Justin Bieber just stepped up his "Punk'd" game to a whole new level to promote the release of his "Beauty and a Beat" music video.
After putting out a fake report that his computer, featuring very personal footage, had been stolen at a show in Tacoma, Washington, Bieber then opened a fake Twitter account, under the moniker @gexwy, and promised that on Friday (October 12) at noon, some highly personal (and possibly naughty) footage would be leaked to the media featuring the pop star. A label spokesperson even told MTV News, "It's an unfortunate situation when personal property is stolen. There will be no further comment."
But, just as we suspected, the "stolen laptop" was all part of an elaborate viral stunt to hype up the latest Believe video, featuring Nicki Minaj, which dropped, as promised, at noon and featured the same handheld footage @gexwy teased as Bieber's private home movies.
Bieber confirmed suspicions that he was in on the whole thing moments before dropping the clip, which he co-directed with "Never Say Never" helmer Jon Chu. "Since i was 14 i have had a lot of things said about me, from dying, to taking hormones, to dying again, to stuff about my family...to saying i had a baby with a woman i never even met. nude pics, drugs, my family, my character...but today...today i get to be in on it...," he wrote, turning the tables on his high-profile haters.
The video itself keeps the joke going with this message at the beginning: "In October of 2012 three hours of personal footage was stolen from musician Justin Bieber. The following footage was illegally uploaded by an anonymous blogger."
That footage includes vintage video of Bieber performing and some more current insider clips of him playing Ping-Pong, chatting on the phone with Nicki and chilling with his crew.
The music video is shot to look like Bieber is holding a handheld camera the whole time. The grainy, shaky footage takes place at an epic pool party that features lots of synchronized swimmers and beautiful ladies, including the one-and-only Minaj.
As he makes his way through the bash, Bieber shows off his smooth dance moves, goes for a swim and dirty-dances with the femcee, who looks a bit like a fantastical ballerina spitting rhymes.
As the video nears its conclusion, it all gets a little meta as fans are treated to some behind-the-scenes footage of Bieber co-directing the video, a wink to the fact that he was in on the hoax the entire time. It ends rather triumphantly as Bieber, soaking wet from his trip down a water slide, stands in front of the camera cheering and fist-bumping extras.
And then, like most home videos, it just cuts off.
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