Messy in Heaven
Messy in Heaven is a song by British singer Venbee featuring East Midlands producer Goddard. It was released on September 23, 2022, as her second single from the album Zero Experience. The track, which blends drum and bass with alt-pop, runs 2 minutes and 50 seconds and was released on Sony’s Columbia label. Songwriter credits go to Andrew Goddard, Dan Fable, Erin Doyle, and Matteo Cinti, with production by Goddard, Teo Jacob Manson, and Venbee.
The song’s idea came from Venbee’s dream of Jesus partying on Chatham High Street, which she used as a metaphor for a friend’s struggle with drugs. It became a hit in the United Kingdom, Ireland, and New Zealand, reaching number 3 in the UK, number 9 in Ireland, and number 7 in New Zealand. Critics praised it as a standout track in the drum and bass scene of the 2020s. Its opening line, “I heard Jesus did cocaine on a night out,” drew attention after BBC Radio 1 aired it once and sparked some complaints from Christians.
The creation story involves Venbee first sharing a snippet of a different song, “Low Down,” with Dan Fable in March 2022. The “Messy in Heaven” idea formed quickly after the dream, and the song was written in about twenty minutes. The lyrics were written by Venbee and Fable, with music and production by Matteo Cinti. Goddard later turned the track into a club-ready version, adding a danceable drum and bass punch after experimenting with the arrangement.
Several versions followed. The original arrived on September 23, 2022; a revised version with a changed opening lyric appeared on September 30, 2022; a November 2022 ArrDee version expanded the party theme with mentions of “Seshlehem.” Dublin duo Belters Only also released a remix. The track’s viral popularity grew with media praise from outlets like The Line of Best Fit, Music Week, The Guardian, Rolling Stone, and NME.
On the UK Singles Chart, Messy in Heaven peaked at number 3 in late November 2022, briefly dipped, then returned to number 3 in January 2023. It spent 15 weeks at the top of the UK Dance Chart and finished high on end-of-year lists. The song’s success helped delay Venbee’s next single, “Gutter.” It won Best Bass Track at the BBC Radio 1 Dance Awards in December 2022, and Apple Music later noted it as one of the year’s most-streamed tracks.
A music video features Venbee hosting a house party, with scenes of a rave and a ride, and performances of the track. The edited version was used in Love Island on February 28, 2023. In September 2023, Venbee performed both Messy in Heaven and a cover of Justin Bieber’s “Sorry” for Triple J’s Like a Version. The song also appears on Venbee’s October 2023 mixtape Zero Experience alongside tracks like Low Down, Rampage, and ME4 (Council Estate).
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 22:11 (CET).