The Vampire Lestat Pours His Heart Into “Dancing With Myself”

A day after the trailer for The Vampire Lestat thrilled the Beautiful Unwell all over the world, a new single has arrived. The full version of Lestat’s (Sam Reid) cover of Billy Idol’s iconic “Dancing With Myself” is now available on a number of music platforms.

Listen to The Vampire Lestat “Dancing With Myself”

There’s no mistaking the fact that the single is much different than the music heard in the trailer. I hope there’s a plan to release the trailer version, not because the new single is bad but because they’re both so good. Both versions capture Lestat’s raw emotion, albeit with very different energies.

The lyrics to “Dancing With Myself” seem to mirror the themes spotted in the trailer. Lestat, after centuries on his own, is looking for love and affirmation. He might be on stage with thousands of fans screaming his name, but at the end of the day he’s still dancing to his own beat. And with the publication of Daniel Molloy’s book, vampire secrets are out in the open, giving Lestat the freedom to express himself “when there’s nothing to lose and there’s nothing to prove.”

Truthfully, I can’t think of a better song for the trailer and I can’t wait to see Reid performing it in the show.

Idol originally recorded “Dancing With Myself” in 1979 with the punk rock band Generation X. The song wasn’t a hit, but Idol wasn’t done with it. In 1981, as a solo artist, Idol released a new version of the song that raced to the top of the pop charts. Over four decades later, the song remains a classic and now Sam Reid is leaving his mark on the iconic song.

With the inclusion of “Dancing With Myself” in The Vampire Lestat, AMC is making it crystal clear that they’re all-in on the Anne Rice Immortal Universe. They no doubt paid a pretty penny for the rights to use the song in the show and to release it as a single. And it’s a gamble that has paid off, no question.

The Vampire Lestat premieres Sunday, June 7, on AMC.