Watch Rhea Raj’s Sizzling New Choreographed Video For ‘Venom’

A lot has changed for U.S.-based Indo-American artist Rhea Raj since we last spoke to her in January this past year when she released her R&B pop ballad titled “MVP.” Raj has gone on to release two more singles, “Atmosphere” and “Don’t Say,” while also moving across the country from New York to Los Angeles. She says, “I moved because I signed my first publishing deal last November. So, it’s been almost a year that I’ve been with this team, and everyone is here. It was tough because I’m still in school, I’m at NYU (New York University) in New York. So, finishing up school virtually, and working out here.”

Even though Raj has had to juggle her move and school, she’s still found time to churn out one more single, the recently released and slithering “Venom.” The track came to be after Raj’s friend, producer R8, sent her a beat that she enjoyed. “Literally the second I heard it, I was like, ‘This is so me.’ It was dark, but it was so pop and trappy,” says Raj. That’s when the singer jumped on a Zoom call with her writing partner Raquel Castro to flesh out the track. “I wanted to write about female empowerment that makes people who listen to it just feel like really good about themselves. It’s also about a toxic relationship and getting out of that stronger on the other side,” says the artist. The final version of “Venom” that’s been released also includes additional production from Raj herself. The song features piano motifs, electronic elements, an accented groove as well as Raj’s melodic vocal runs.

The song’s accompanying music video – directed by Hector Toro and Raj – includes a choreographed dance created by dancer Shirlene Quigley (performed with Beyoncé, Rhianna and Lizzo) and sees Raj slay it with her scorching performance. “We filmed it in a few hours at this really cool venue in L.A. and I’ve been getting really good feedback on the video and people are loving seeing the dancing,” says Raj.

A choreographed dance performance is something that Raj is also keen on taking on the road when she returns to playing shows live. Although the singer-songwriter’s main focus is to continue releasing singles, she counts herself as a huge fan of full-length albums. She says, “That’s the goal. When I think of what I’m working towards and where all this music is going to end up.”

Watch the video for “Venom” below and stream the song on other platforms.