Behind the Video: RIAH Discusses Her Sultry Survivalist Anthem “Daddy Issues”

Rising dark-pop artist RIAH recently unveiled the gripping new music video for “Daddy Issues,” a seductive yet haunting track that confronts the pain of broken promises, cycles of betrayal, and the ultimate decision to let go.

Gritty, intimate, and unapologetic, RIAH unravels the deeply personal and painful realization that some people, no matter how much you love them, will never change. The lyrics delicately walk the line between resentment and reluctant nostalgia, navigating the turmoil of anger, grief, and empowerment. Both a confrontation and a farewell, it only made sense to shoot this video with a moody, evocative aesthetic that pushes boundaries and pulls the song’s tension between love and destruction, freedom and entrapment.

RIAH utilizes chair and pole work to symbolize the delicate dance between power and vulnerability, visually mirroring the song’s lyrics through artistic movement as a form of storytelling— balancing strength and fragility, control and chaos. Through this Behind the Video interview, RIAH challenges outdated narratives of pole workers and reclaims it as a narrative of art, control, resilience, and sensuality as power, rather than objectification.

What’s the concept behind the video? Help us to understand the video’s concept in more detail and how it ties into the lyrics.

RIAH: “The concept behind ‘Daddy Issues’ is rooted in the push and pull between beauty and chaos — a visual and emotional duality that mirrors the themes throughout my Trauma Bond album. The lyrics themselves are clever, sharp, and layered with anger, grief, and empowerment. I wanted the video to contrast that lyrical complexity with a raw, almost impulsive energy — like I walked into a dance studio in my 8-inch heels and just let my emotions pour out through movement. There’s something powerful about expressing rage and heartbreak in a sensual, physical way. It’s messy and emotional, but it’s also controlled and commanding. That’s the duality I wanted to capture.”

What was your favourite part behind the creation of the video?

“This was the first video where my videographer and I intentionally worked to highlight both my singing and my dancing in tandem. That might sound simple, but it’s incredibly challenging to capture both when you’re physically moving as much as I am — especially between two poles. It was such a fun challenge to figure out how to showcase the choreography without losing the vocal presence or the emotional weight of the performance. We were constantly playing with angles, pacing, and movement, and I loved the creative problem-solving that came with it.”

Was there anything during the making of this (or any other) music video that happened unexpectedly, or you were surprised to learn?

“I’m always amazed at how much adrenaline kicks in once the camera starts rolling. You’d think after a few full-out takes, I’d be ready to crash, but with this shoot, we probably ran through the routine 10 to 15 times, and I just kept getting more energized. Each take felt better than the last. My body started locking in with the rhythm and emotion of the song, and I barely needed any breaks. It’s like something else takes over when you’re really tapped into what the song is trying to say.”

What is one thing you absolutely refuse to do for a video that everyone else seems to be more than happy doing?

“I will never dilute who I am to make myself more palatable. I’m not interested in dumbing myself down, playing the “cool girl,” or minimizing my sexuality to fit into a box someone else designed. As an artist who also works in tech and has a background in entrepreneurship and sex work, I know how eager people are to put women into tidy little categories. I exist outside of those expectations, and I’m not interested in shrinking to make others comfortable.”

What is one thing you’re more than happy to do for a music video that everyone else seems to absolutely refuse to do?

“Lean unapologetically into the taboo, especially the parts of myself that people are quick to judge or stereotype. I used to be a webcam model, I strip occasionally at events, and I know firsthand how complicated people’s reactions can be when a woman owns her sensuality and power. But I’m also a tech professional, an entrepreneur, and someone who’s deeply intentional about everything I put into the world. So when I show up on screen in 8-inch heels doing pole choreo to a song called ‘Daddy Issues,’ it’s not just for shock value. It’s layered. It’s reclaiming. And it’s real.”

RIAH, photo by Chris Rasmussen

Any concepts where you started and midway through thought, “What the fuck are we doing?”

“Absolutely. The chair-pole choreography was definitely one of those moments. In the early takes, the timing was off, the spacing felt weird, and during the first drop split — which is actually how the video ends — the chair completely toppled over with me on it. It was a full-body ‘what the fuck’ moment, but we laughed it off, adjusted, and kept going. That’s the beauty of working with a small but nimble team — we can pivot fast.”

Did your newest video have a budget and were you able to stick with it?

“Everything I do is independently funded, so yeah, we had a tight budget and we stuck to it. We rented the space, kept the shoot lean, and planned meticulously to make the most of the time we had. Honestly, I think that kind of constraint can push you to be more creative. You have to really focus on what’s essential to the vision.”

How much of this video was self-made?

“Almost all of it. The song is original, the choreography was mine, and I came up with the entire concept, the styling, the energy, all of it. Chris Rasmussen, my videographer, has worked with me before and he’s incredible at making suggestions that elevate the vision without taking it over. It was definitely a collaborative effort, but it all started from my imagination.”

RIAH in rehearsals for “Daddy Issues” music video

If money was no issue, what would be in your perfect video?

“Oh my god, so many things. First off, I’d have a full cast of sexy, talented dancers — all genders, all sexual orientations, all body types. I want that beautiful variety of human sensuality on display. And I’ve always dreamed of doing a pole piece in a space that slowly floods with water. There’s something incredibly powerful and emotional about mixing water with dance. It’s chaotic, messy, and beautiful. That’s my dream shot.”

Which statement seems most true to you: Music videos are a “high” form of art; music videos are a “low” form of art; music videos can be “high” or “low” art; it doesn’t matter, all art is art; it doesn’t matter, nothing really matters.

“Music videos are 100 percent a high form of art if the artist treats them that way. It’s one thing to slap together a video because you feel like you ‘should,” but it’s something entirely different to use the format to expand on the emotional and visual world of your music. That’s what excites me. A music video is a chance to reinterpret the meaning of a song through a whole new lens. And when it’s intentional and imaginative, it absolutely belongs in the realm of high art.”

What’s your favourite thing about music videos?

“They’re a blank canvas. I can take a song I’ve written, something deeply personal and emotional, and ask, ‘Ok, how do I show this?’ I get to explore sides of myself that might not come through in just the audio. Music videos let me be powerful, sensual, vulnerable, and even villainous. It’s such a unique way to build out the emotional universe of the music, and I fall in love with the process every time.”