What is the Popstar AI trend?
In the 2020 video for DJ Khaled's "POPSTAR", Drake is too busy to show up, so Justin Bieber stands in for him and lip-syncs Drake's verse through a mansion party. On 2 October 2026 Neymar posted an AI version with himself in Bieber's place, captioned "Lil Ney", and the remakes took off: fans, friends, dads, pets and even Drake himself in his own video. Every version uses the same 12 seconds: the hallway walk with the bottle and the bodyguard, ending at the glass balcony. Posts are usually captioned "Lil" plus the star's name.
Template clip: a 12-second CapCut version of the hallway shot, posted 12 October 2026. The shot itself is about 2:54 into the official 2020 POPSTAR video, where Justin Bieber walks it. @panchos_seafood on TikTok
Face swap, CapCut template or AI generator?
A face-swap or CapCut template pastes your face onto Bieber's body, so you wear his shirt and his tattoos. This generator films the hallway again from your photo: your face, your build and, if you like, your own clothes, with the same walk, camera and bodyguard, and your mouth moving on the words of the song. It also works with a dog or cat.
How the Popstar AI trend went viral
- July 17, 2020: DJ Khaled releases "POPSTAR" featuring Drake, a lead single from his album Khaled Khaled. Wikipedia
- September 4, 2020: The official video, directed by Director X, goes up on YouTube: Drake sends Justin Bieber to shoot it in his place. By 20 October 2026: 353 million views. YouTube
- October 2, 2026: Neymar posts an AI version with himself in Bieber's place, captioned "Lil Ney". A Brazilian sports account's repost reaches 708,000 plays on TikTok. CNN Brasil
- October 10, 2026: A fan's AI version puts Drake himself in the video he never shot; the @rap repost passes 332,000 plays. TikTok
- October 12, 2026: CapCut versions trim it to the 12-second hallway walk that every remake shares, the shot this template is built on. TikTok
Play counts were read on October 20, 2026 and keep changing.
The Popstar AI trend, beat by beat
- 0–1s
At the dim end of the hallway the star turns to face the camera, a big champagne bottle in one hand.
- 1–4s
They stride at the retreating camera, bottle swinging at the hip, rapping into the lens.
- 4–5.5s
The bald, bearded bodyguard gets up from the teal armchair and falls in behind.
- 5.5–8.5s
Arms spread wide, bottle raised next to the face, the lip-sync never stops.
- 8.5–10s
Out of the hallway into the sunlit atrium with the glass balustrade.
- 10–12s
A turn toward the glass balcony and a look back over the shoulder at the camera.
2 ways to make the Popstar AI trend
- A person: One photo of you or an adult who agreed, in your own outfit or the video look. Themes: Your outfit, The video look.
- A pet: One photo of your dog or cat, strutting upright with the bottle.
How to make a Popstar video
Pick one photo
One person facing the camera, face large and sharp, or one pet on its own.
Choose the look
Your outfit keeps the clothes from your photo; The video look gives you the silk shirt and pearls; Pet popstar is for dogs and cats.
Generate
Pick the quality and press Generate. Failed videos are refunded automatically.
Post
Download the 12-second vertical MP4, caption it "Lil" plus the name, and label it as AI-generated where the app asks.
Make the Popstar AI trend yourself: what the prompt needs
To make it yourself you need an image-to-video model that takes a reference photo and, ideally, reference audio, such as Seedance 2.0. Without the audio the mouth moves at random, which is the quickest giveaway.
- One take, camera backing away: Describe a gimbal at chest height tracking backward the whole time. Cuts or a static camera lose the music-video feel.
- The bottle and the bodyguard: One big champagne bottle in one hand, and a bald bearded bodyguard who stands up around the fourth second and follows. He is the punchline.
- Beats with times: The turn, the walk, the bodyguard, the arms wide, the atrium and the look back. Twelve seconds is tight; untimed beats run over.
- Lip-sync to the real verse: Feed the 12 seconds of the song from the hallway shot as reference audio, or the mouth won't match when you add the sound.
- Keep the identity: Say the star's face, hair and clothes come from the photo, and that the stills or reference only give the room and the poses.
Popstar guides
How to Do the Popstar AI Trend
How to do the Popstar AI trend: take Justin Bieber's place in the mansion hallway of DJ Khaled and Drake's POPSTAR video from one photo, with the bottle, the bodyguard and the verse lip-synced. The one-photo way, pets, the do-it-yourself method and the mistakes to avoid.
Photo tips for Popstar
- Use a recent, front-facing photo with the face large and sharp; the star leans into the lens, so every detail shows.
- With Your outfit, whatever you wear in the photo walks the mansion: a hoodie, a cap, a football kit, a chain.
- For pets, use one dog or cat on its own, not in someone's arms, with the face clearly visible.
Who to cast
- Yourself, captioned "Lil" plus your name
- The friend who already acts famous
- Your dad in his polo shirt
- Your dog, with a security detail
