Justin Trudeau’s son is pushing back against criticism of his music ambitions, insisting in a recent interview that his career can move forward “with or without” the support or influence of his high-profile father.
Xavier Trudeau, 18, who performs under the name “Xav,” comes from one of Canada’s most recognizable political families. But rather than follow the path of his relatives, including generations tied to the prime minister’s office, he has chosen to focus on building an R&B career — a move that has also drawn plenty of doubters.
The young performer faced a wave of criticism after being named the headlining act for Ottawa’s Shawarma Festival, a yearly celebration of Middle Eastern food and culture.
Once Xav’s appearance was announced, social media quickly filled with harsh reactions. One commenter wrote, “His agent must be having a heck of a time getting gigs. Everyone hates him because of his Dad, and he can’t sing. Great combo.”
Another person questioned the booking by asking, “How much did Trudeau pay for this appearance?”
A third critic added, “Who cares! But obviously he needs as much publicity as possible because he’s not that great of a singer.”
Xav has now opened up about his newfound music fame in an interview with Vulture, defending his choice to pursue a career in entertainment and urging listeners not to be discouraged if they dislike his father’s politics.
‘If they don’t like my dad, right away, they don’t like me. If you don’t like me because you don’t like my music, and you think it’s the worst thing in the world? Okay, fine. I’ll live with that. But when you don’t even give it a shot? I can’t respect that,’ he told the publication.
Xavier Trudeau, stage name ‘Xav,’ opened up in a new interview with Vulture about his music career and being a ‘nepo baby’
Despite the backlash to his music, Xav seemed unbothered during an outing with his girlfriend, TikTok influencer Pariya Carello
Xav released his first single just weeks after his father, former Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, announced his resignation
Xav was seen enjoying a low-key bike ride with his girlfriend
Xav coincidentally dropped his first single, Til the Nights Done, a few weeks after Trudeau made international headlines for resigning as Canada’s prime minister.
The young rapper denied that the decision was calculated, telling Vulture that the song had already been pitched to Spotify and was scheduled to come out before Trudeau announced his resignation.
Unlike other ‘nepo babies,’ Xav has not shied away from acknowledging who his father is, even posting a video of Trudeau reacting to one of his songs.
‘It has its benefits, and it has its negatives, like anything has. You could be the son of a lawyer and have challenges that you’d have to go through,’ Xav told Vulture.
‘Obviously, mine’s a little bit more specific, but I definitely think it’s a benefit.’
Xav said his inspirations are artists like Don Toliver, Drake and Travis Scott. He has written music about relationships and smoking marijuana, which also caused controversy, as it is illegal to use the drug underage.
When asked if there was any backlash to the lyrics about ‘rolling’ marijuana, Xav responded, ‘There was! And that’s what got me hundreds of thousands of streams on the song.’
Xav also revealed that he wanted to pursue music to get out of his father’s shadow, telling the publication, ‘I wanted to be my own man. I was tired of being “Trudeau’s kid.” So I started being like, “Okay, it’s your time. Start something.”‘
Xav is not the only musician in Trudeau’s life, as he started dating pop star Katy Perry after leaving office. Xav said Perry has been ‘super supportive’ of his music.
He added that, unlike his father, he is not a ‘very political person’ but is open to eventually using his music to express his opinions.
The duo were spotted roaming around Miami on bikes
Xav and his influencer girlfriend sported athletic attire for their sporty outing
The pair were spotted chatting before taking their bikes out for a spin
Xav said that, unlike his father, he is not a ‘very political person’ but is open to eventually using his music to express his opinions
Xav released an EP last year and has five singles out. He has 6,290 monthly listeners on Spotify, and his most-streamed song is Til the Nights Done, with over 153,000 streams.
He performed at Shawarma Fest last weekend. Viewers expressed mixed opinions on a video of his performance, with one writing, ‘If autotune was a person.’
‘Autotune is an instant no. Even if the shawarma was free,’ another agreed.
However, some stood up for Xav, with one comment reading, ‘Let the kid sing and try to branch out on his own for crying out loud. He doesn’t want to follow politics like his old man. Think about your 17-year-old kids and the ideas they have. Smile. Support. Move on.’
Xav did not seem bothered by the backlash to his performance at the festival as he was spotted after the event with his girlfriend, TikTok influencer Pariya Carello, riding bikes in Miami, Florida.
