Two Pakistani teenagers who were filmed singing a rendition of Justin Bieber’s song ‘Baby’ have become an internet sensation.
The footage shows 15-year-old Saania and 13-year-old Muqqadas Tabaydar singing the pop song while their mother, Shahnaz, holds the beat by tapping on a pot. The video was posted on Facebook in February and has been viewed almost two million times.
Some commented on social media that Bieber now had “competition”, while others announced, “Pakistan’s got talent.”
The sisters, dubbed ‘Justin Bibis', said they listened to the song about 70 times before they were satisfied with their performance.
"When I heard the song I forgot to eat or drink. I was just listening. I kept practicing and practicing until I learned it by heart,” Muqqadas told BBC News.
Since the girls barely speak English, they learnt the lyrics by sounding out the words and transcribing them into Urdu.
Growing up in a very poor neighbourhood on the outskirts of Lahore, their newfound fame has been life-changing.
They were picked up by local TV channels and were invited to perform live.
"We had our hair and make-up done. We'd never been to a beauty parlour before. All of it was like magic so who knows what will happen next," Saania told BBC News.
"We really didn't expect all of this to happen to us, to be famous like this. Because of this video we got on a plane for the first time and we've been on TV. That's always been our dream.”
The girls' mother has also caught Bieber fever.
“I still can't believe all of this happened to my daughters, all thanks to Justin Bieber. I like him a lot. I feel he's like my son.”
Their father said he could not be be prouder of his daughters.
"My daughters did something not many other girls can do. They sing English songs which are very hard for them, but they manage it," he said.
Saania and Muqqadas said their next step is to travel the world.
“Our biggest wish, though, is to meet Justin Bieber and to sing with him.”
