The Denver dark-pop artist directs and stars in a single-shot descent through a vampire den, where a seductive summer anthem reveals the innocent outsider was the monster all along.
DENVER, CO (July 27, 2026) – There is a moment in every vampire story when the hunt reverses. The one who seemed lost, wide-eyed and wandering among beautiful monsters, turns out to know exactly where the exits are and exactly who she came to find. “Lestat” lives in that turn, in the half-second before the prey shows her teeth.
Out July 27, 2026, the official music video for “Lestat” is the most visually ambitious release yet from Denver dark-pop artist Riah, featuring Cadiel. Directed by Riah and Luke Ostermiller and captured in a continuous shot, it immerses viewers in a decadent world of vampires, desire, and deception. At first Riah appears to be an innocent outsider searching for a mysterious man in a den of beautiful monsters. As the night unfolds, the truth arrives: she was never lost. She is the Queen.
Artists like Rihanna, Kim Petras, Zara Larsson, and Hayley Kiyoko have pulled pop toward something darker and more cinematic, where sensuality carries a sharper edge. “Lestat” steps into that conversation and adds its own gothic theater: a summer anthem about power, temptation, and embracing the monster within.
"This was my first music video with a full cast of extras and my first time attempting a one-shot concept. We wanted the audience to feel like they were wandering through a vampire den with me in real time."
Riah
Riah built “Lestat” around her eclectic tastes. The video features an ensemble cast of diverse performers, including queer and non-binary characters in celebration of Pride, alongside members of Denver's vampire scene. As both a co-director and a producer of her own work, she belongs to a growing wave of women shaping their releases from behind the camera as well as in front of it.
Images by Ren Matthews
The song moves like the night it depicts. Cold-skinned verses give way to a chorus that repeats "they call you parasite" until devotion and danger blur, and Cadiel's verse pulls the temptation closer, all flashing lights and instincts screaming to run. Across the single take, the camera never blinks, following Riah from outsider to Queen as the den reveals who was hunting whom. "I love stories that subvert expectations," says Riah. "You think you're watching a woman searching for a man, but really she's hunting."
“Lestat” is an early signal of something larger. The track belongs to Riah's forthcoming album, Insurrection, which she plans to pair with a fully scripted immersive show in collaboration with DejaView Productions, Medusa's Curse. The one-take video, with its theatrical staging, 'campy' feel, and ensemble world-building, reads as a first glimpse of that ambition: pop songs built to be staged, inhabited, and walked through rather than simply streamed. "One take means there's nowhere to hide. The energy had to be real, and everyone involved brought so much life to the world we created." By the time the take ends, the question the video opens with has answered itself. She was never the prey.
Images by Ren Matthews
About Riah:
Riah, a rising force in the Bedroom Pop scene, is crafting introspective and evocative music that resonates with the complexities of love, sex, loss, and a distinctive "villain energy." Drawing from personal life experiences, Riah channels deep emotion into every lyric and melody, creating an intimate connection with listeners.
Starting in the Los Angeles entertainment industry at the tender age of 17, Riah faced the harsh realities of the pre-Me Too era, which fueled her desire for autonomy and control over her artistic vision. After years of enduring the industry's darker side, she stepped back, determined to return to music only on her own terms. Now, as an accomplished entrepreneur, Riah has reclaimed her voice and is ready to make waves with a fresh and authentic sound.
In addition to her musical journey, Riah has captivated audiences at numerous festivals, clubs, and acoustic venues. Her passion for performance extends beyond music, as she is also a competitive pole dancer, having won in her division and heels categories in the prestigious PSO Mountain competition in 2023.
With a unique blend of vulnerability and power, Riah is poised to leave a lasting impact on the music world, bringing a new level of depth and intensity to the Bedroom Pop genre.