(Reuters) – Canadian pop star Justin Bieber has pulled out the Hollywood stops in his latest video for the single “As Long As You Love Me,” making a sort of mini-film showing his grown-up side.
Bieber, 18, recruited gritty actor Michael Madsen, best known for his roles in “Pulp Fiction” and “Reservoir Dogs,” to play the disapproving father of Bieber’s love interest in the slick music video, which runs nearly six minutes.
In the video, which debuted online on Wednesday, Bieber plays a star-crossed lover. It features car chases, fights, raunchy dancers and steamy romance set against the Los Angeles skyline, all part of a plan to transition the singer from teeny bopper to adult artist.
Bieber fans, known as ‘Beliebers,’ praised him on social media websites for showing his darker side and fighting for love. Kaylie @StrongForJustin tweeted, “The whole ALAYLM video was amazing. It shows how if you really love someone, you would fight for them. There’s a lot of meaning.”
Bieber rose to fame as a baby-faced pop star on YouTube, singing innocent love songs such as “Baby” and “One Less Lonely Girl.” In the past year, he has grown under the watchful eye of the public and is dating Disney actress and singer Selena Gomez.
The new electro-pop “As Long As You Love Me”, not to be confused with the Backstreet Boys song with the same title, features rapper Big Sean and is the second single from his latest album “Believe.”
Bieber unveiled his new image in the video for the first single from the album, “Boyfriend,” which saw him cavorting with dancers and driving fast cars. The video earned a nomination for best male video, and the winner will be announced at the MTV Video Music awards in September.
(Reporting By Piya Sinha-Roy; Editing by Bob Tourtellotte)