Last Thursday (9/17/20), Justin Bieber released a new video for his newest song, “Holy”. It was an instant success, featuring stars like Chance the Rapper, Wilmer Valderrama (from “NCIS”), and Ryan Destiny (from the Fox series “Star”). As of now, it has 24 million views on YouTube.

Chance the Rapper and Bieber are longtime friends, collaborating in such songs as “No Brainer” and “I’m the One”. However, some ILS students seem to think “Holy” is unique from the star’s previous music.

“I think this video has much more emotion than Bieber’s other music,” says junior Allison Perez.

The video outlines the life of a man who’s just lost his job (Bieber) and his girlfriend (Destiny) a nurse. Kicked out of their home, they run into a US soldier, played by Valderrama, who offers them a warm dinner and some comfort.

According to another ILS junior, Amber-Marie Carpintero, said: “The video was heartwarming…depicting struggles people face nowadays.”

The message is undoubtedly a different one than what fans are used to from Bieber. He stresses the importance of love and compassion, while “including his relationship with God” as Carpintero put it.

“I think he was trying to appeal to his old audience with wholesome content,” said junior Sara Robinson. She attributed Bieber’s sudden change to his recent marriage.

In any case, “Holy” showcased Bieber’s belief that, as Perez put it, “no matter how lost we feel in life, there’s always other willing to help us.” The video is out on YouTube now for everyone to see!