Grammy award-winning artist Justin Bieber has caused a stir on social media after posting two videos of himself dancing to Nigerian singer Fireboy DML’s hit song “Playboy.”
The pop sensation, known for chart-topping hits like “Peaches” and his remix of Wizkid and Tems’ “Essence,” shared the first video on X and Instagram on Saturday.
The video, apparently from a The League basketball game in Los Angeles on October 23, featured Bieber and his team, SKYLRK, facing Nahmias.
The video used Fireboy’s 2022 Afrobeats anthem “Playboy” as background music while Bieber confidently drained shots on the court.
A second video, provided by another user known as #AsakyGRN, purportedly shows Bieber mouthing the lyrics to the same song and clearly singing along to the line, “Shawty wanna play with a big boy like me.”
The videos rapidly went viral, generating over 90,000 likes and provoking controversy among followers. While some commended Bieber for promoting African music, others wondered if the song was performed live or inserted during editing.
One user, #jbanj, wrote, “Shout out to Fireboy for the background music — ‘Playboy’ never misses.”
The clip also appeared to be related to one of Bieber’s previous livestreams, which he posted on Saturday and highlighted faith, hate, and personal growth. Although the viral Fireboy scene was not featured in the stream’s official episode.
Fans expressed their excitement on Instagram. User #stevoskys wrote, “This is proof that #fireboydml is recognized and respected outside Nigeria.”
Fireboy DML, signed to YBNL Nation and Empire, will release “Playboy” as part of his third studio album of the same name in August 2022. The song remains one of the decade’s defining Afrobeats hits, with international acclaim.
