Ones2Watch Home

Photo: Colin Miller

Alt-pop sensation Nessa Barrett explores grief and healing with the release of her heartfelt new single "club heaven." The touching anthem pays tribute to the passing of her best friend, Cooper Noriega, with soaring vocals and earnest, vulnerable lyrics that show the depths of her pain and efforts to heal from loss.

Throughout the song, Barrett imagines her dearly departed friend in the titular "club heaven," wishing she could be there but obviously can't. "You always liked an afterparty, so I guess I shoulda known / Said we hate the paparazzi, now you're somewhere they can't go," she gently croons atop the soft-spoken strums of a guitar and sleek pop production.

In the chorus, layers of subdued percussion patterns, electric guitar riffs, and steady, thrumming bass fill the air as she sings poignant lines like, "I hope you're dancin' in club Heaven / Smokin' some blue dream with your legends," and "I bet you're up in the VIP, raisin' some hell for me." Although on the bridge, she worries that maybe they won't find each other in the afterlife, there's an undertone of hope that one day, after a well-lived life, they'll be reunited again.

"It's one of the most special songs I've ever written," Barrett confides. "I had to heal in order to be in a place to release it, and I can't wait for everyone to feel it with me. This song is for anyone who is missing someone. This one is for you, Coop."

The music video is a heartbreaking visual with various references to Noriega. It opens with a scene of Barrett sitting in a car surrounded by paparazzi outside a club. She hesitates to leave the vehicle before glancing at a shadowy, star-studded, hooded figure and being left to fend for herself amid the chaotic flashing lights of life. 

"club heaven" coincides with the start of Barrett's fall headlining tour, which kicked off at Austin City Limits Festival. The track also follows Barrett's recent collaboration with producer and DJ Whethan, "sick of myself," and her most recent EP hell is teenage girl. The vulnerable and captivating eight-song EP showcased Barrett’s sultry brand of pop and was written to represent the "8 stages of a breakup." 

Watch the “club heaven” video below: