The teenage son of former Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is catching flak for his melodramatic new music video.
The video, which features 18-year-old Xavier Trudeau astride a horse and driving a flashy sports car, also includes a cameo from his father, who recently went public with his romance with pop star Katy Perry.
Complaints were quick to pile in following the video’s release Friday, with viewers mainly taking issue with Xavier’s singing and the video’s dramatic style.
‘This whole thing was so cringey I couldn’t watch more than 45 seconds of it,’ one viewer commented.
‘Awful. I wonder what he thinks about his dad dating Katy Perry,’ added another.
‘I want Katy Perry to awkwardly work with him on his music,’ a third wrote on X.
‘Why isn’t Katy Perry in this and why haven’t you changed your name to Parliament Next Door?’ another joked on Instagram.
‘He sounds horrible on the lower notes. He actually has a decent sounding voice on the higher notes,’yet another chimed in.
Xavier Trudeau, who goes by Xav, is seen in the music video for his new single The Dive, which came out late last month.
The video featured a cameo appearance from the former Canadian prime minister, who recently made his first public appearance with new girlfriend Katy Perry. The two are seen here at the Crazy Horse in Paris on October 25
Xavier, who just turned 18 two weeks ago, released his debut single ‘Til The Nights Done’ back in February.
He has released several other R&B-style songs since.
Xavier spoke in February about how he came to choose a music career following a childhood surrounded by politics.
‘As I got older, I started realizing, like, this is fun, this is cool, but this isn’t me. I’m not the one who did this for myself,’ he told the Brandon Gonez Show.
‘This is all because of my dad and what he’s accomplished – and I’ve so much respect for what he’s done, but I want to create what I want to create.’
Trudeau’s appearance in the new video appeared to indicate pride in his son’s endeavors.
He is is shown looking on contemplatively following a series of clips that featured a high-flying Xavier performing.
Trudeau, 53, also plugged the song last month on social media.
Xavier is shown performing on stage in his new music video
Xavier released his first R&B single earlier this year. He’s seen here in a still for the new video
Days later, on October 25, Perry and Trudeau made their first appearance as a couple at the Crazy Horse Paris for the pop star’s 41st birthday.
The pair had been pictured together and romantically linked repeatedly over the summer. They were seen on a date in Montreal shortly after Perry split with longtime fiancée Orlando Bloom in June.
In September, the Daily Mail snapped photos of the two sharing a kiss on a yacht off the coast of Santa Barbara.
Trudeau announced his separation from his wife of 18 years, Sophie Gregoire Trudeau, in August 2023.
The couple share Xavier and two other children: Ella-Grace, 16, and 11-year-old Hadrien.
