Lestat Drops ‘Detroit’ EP and Finally Unleashes ‘Black Licorice’
Beautiful Unwell, because apparently, chaos remains his preferred marketing strategy, Lestat de Lioncourt (Sam Reid) has once again disrupted our editorial calendar. Just when we thought we understood his musical rollout strategy, the vampire rock star surprised us with Detroit, a three-song EP collecting all the tracks featured in the premiere episode of The Vampire Lestat.
We have to confess that for weeks we’ve been wondering what the Brat Prince planned to do once his show officially premiered. We assumed more singles were on the horizon. Maybe even a full album announcement at some point. But the evidence suggests he may be releasing EPs (yes, multiple) alongside the show’s episodes.
Of course, we can’t officially confirm whether this will become a weekly occurrence because neither Lestat nor his management team have returned our emails. But considering the timing, we’re willing to make an educated guess. We’ll come back to you with more information when we hear from his team or the next EP drops—whatever happens first.
But anygays… Detroit features Long Face, All Fall Down, and the long-awaited studio version of a track many fans have been impatiently waiting for since last week’s One Night Only concert: Black Licorice.
Now, if you didn’t attend the concert, but the title still sounds familiar, that’s because social media has spent the better part of the week debating it, and reactions have ranged from “he’s a genius” to “someone please take his microphone away.” We have to confess that we didn’t know what to think, but now that the official version is available and that we’ve spent some hours with it, we’re pleased to report that both sides may have had a point.
Because here’s the thing about Black Licorice. The first time we listened to it, we weren’t entirely convinced it could dethrone Long Face as Lestat’s most head-scratching song. The second time, we started humming the chorus. By the fourth or fifth listen, we found ourselves voluntarily replaying it. By the seventh, we had accepted our fate.
And look, we’re not here to defend every lyrical decision made by a 275-year-old vampire who only recently discovered what TikTok is. The song contains lines such as “No time for ‘I ride my stepbrother til’ he come'” and “Don’t wanna learn another TikTok dance,” which certainly qualify as choices. But in an era where KATSEYE’s Gnarly exists and thrives on vibes alone, we’re willing to argue that Black Licorice deserves its chance as well.
Reports surrounding the track claim it was inspired by the first kill Lestat made after reconciling with his ex, billionaire entrepreneur Louis de Pointe du Lac (Jacob Anderson). Whether that context helps explain some of the lyrics or simply raises additional questions is ultimately up to the listener. We have already seen some fans speculate that Black Licorice might be about Louis in a far more literal sense. Sources close to the singer, however, insist otherwise.
What stands out most to us is how much the song feels like a commentary on modern celebrity culture. Lestat doesn’t want to dance for algorithms, manufacture relatability, or constantly perform for likes. On the other hand, he very clearly enjoys having an audience. A man asking for “a million more screams” is not exactly disappearing into a cabin in the woods.
That contradiction gives the song its personality. Black Licorice isn’t the sound of someone rejecting fame, it’s the sound of someone trying to negotiate his relationship with it.
Musically, however, there is very little to negotiate—the track sounds fantastic.
The violin is the secret weapon here, threading through the entire song and creating a dramatic atmosphere that keeps everything feeling larger than life. Combined with the guitars and the increasingly chaotic energy of the arrangement, the result feels distinctly theatrical in a way that suits both Lestat and The Vampire Lestat perfectly.
And when viewed through the lens of the show, the song becomes even more interesting.
In the premiere, Black Licorice arrives during a pivotal moment for Lestat. The performance becomes the moment he realizes he’s been holding himself back. As the music overtakes him, he understands that he has been writing around his emotions rather than through them, creating songs that only scratch the surface of what he’s actually feeling. The muses quite literally arrive to call him out on it.
That’s what makes Black Licorice such an effective piece of storytelling. It captures an artist on the verge of transformation, not after it. Narratively, it’s doing exactly what it needs to do: showing us the version of Lestat that exists before the music itself forces him to dig deeper. Which, naturally, leaves us wondering where his sound goes from here.
If Detroit is only the first chapter in a larger musical rollout, future releases could become increasingly reflective of that evolution…more emotional, more personal, and certainly more dangerous.
As always, Sam Reid deserves enormous credit for making the entire project work. The actor continues to navigate the impossible challenge of bringing Lestat’s voice to life, balancing arrogance, vulnerability, humor, and rock star swagger in a way that never feels forced. Most importantly, he somehow manages to sell lyrics that absolutely should not work on paper, which may very well be his greatest achievement of all.
Don’t forget to keep supporting this emerging artist. You can stream Detroit on your preferred music platform and catch new episodes of The Vampire Lestat every Sunday at 9 p.m. EDT on AMC.
And if Black Licorice doesn’t click immediately, give it a few more listens. Trust us. We didn’t make it to our seventh replay by accident.
The Vampire Lestat Episode 1, Detroit, is available to stream on AMC+ now. Episode 2, Toledo, will premiere on AMC on Sunday, June 7, at 9 pm ET/PT. Seasons 1 and 2 of Interview With the Vampire are available to stream on AMC+, Netflix, and Prime Video (depending on the region). Follow us on X and Instagram for all queer stuff!
Featured Image: Image Courtesy of AMC and Lakeshore Records.
