A couple of hundred people went into Finn Askew’s show in Los Angeles expecting to see the rising British singer, not one of the biggest pop stars in the world. But at The Moroccan Lounge on Thursday (Nov. 12), fans got both, with Justin Bieber popping out for a surprise cameo and duet.
As captured in footage posted by Askew on Instagram, Bieber took the stage at the end of the setlist, adding his signature runs and instantly recognizable voice to “Music All Over Her Body,” a single released by the Wellington, U.K., native in September. Under flashing lights and in front of a disbelieving crowd, Bieber — sporting slim sunglasses and a snazzy button-up shirt — trades lines of the song back and forth with Askew while grooving and swaggering to the music.
Billboard has reached out to Bieber’s rep for more details.
According to the venue’s website, its event capacity is about 250 people. “POV: Justin Bieber randomly performs at a $30 show,” one person wrote over a video of the duet taken from the audience’s perspective.
Bieber’s stop at the unusually small (by his standards) performance space comes just three days after he posed with an arm around the 25-year-old up-and-comer in a photo posted on Instagram. Askew simply captioned it, “Brother.”
Later, on his Story, Askew reflected on the experience. “who’s gonna pinch me then?” he wrote, later following up with: “I just got into bed and it’s all just hit me. tears of joy.”
The Brit has been making music since he was a teenager, creating debut single “Roses” when he was 16. He started properly releasing music in 2020 and unveiled EP Blueboy this past April.
Bieber hasn’t dropped music since his Billboard 200 No. 2 Swag double album, and he’s kept a lower profile since headlining Coachella this spring. He does seem to be developing a knack for spontaneous surprise performances, having showed up for an impromptu jam session in MacArthur Park in L.A. in September.