Justin Bieber gets touchy-feely in Pray video

You know the holiday season is upon us when pop stars churn out "charity-inspired" videos.

Justin Bieber released the above clip for his newest single, Pray, via Facebook on Friday. The song can be found on his new acoustic album, My Worlds: The Collection. "I just can't sleep tonight," Bieber warbles. "I've got a vision to make a difference, and it's starting today."

In the video, that "vision" includes shots of him visiting sick children at various hospitals, as well as shmoozing with hysterical fans. These scenes are juxtaposed with clips of poverty-stricken people from around the world. To be honest, the video looks more like a campaign ad than a heartfelt message - are all those shots of Bieber hugging sick kids really necessary?

The Biebs appears to be on a bit of an activist kick. This video comes a week after Bieber made his own contribution to the It Gets Better campaign, which aims to empower gay youth. "There's nothing cool about being a bully," Bieber says in his 20-second video, his artfully placed baseball cap nodding as he talks.



Bieber doesn't sound particularly genuine, but we all know his pre-pubescent fans will eat this stuff up ("OMG, Justin, like, totally cares!").

-- Lisa Pires