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Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Darren Criss sings “Welcome to Heaven” as Saint Peter in the Prime Video series Hazbin Hotel, and its creators built the number around one idea: a heavenly welcome should feel like a party. In a January 26, 2024 interview with Rolling Stone Canada, Marlow Stern spoke with series creator Vivienne Medrano, Criss, and songwriters Sam Haft and Andrew Underberg about how the song took shape. This article sets out what each of them said, why the approach matters for the show, and which claims rest on the interview alone.
The song and the performer
The number is “Welcome to Heaven,” performed by Darren Criss in the role of Saint Peter. It appears in Hazbin Hotel, an animated series created by Vivienne Medrano. The show follows Charlie Morningstar, who is trying to build a rehabilitation hotel for demons. The interview treats the songs as part of the characters’ journeys, and presents Saint Peter’s number as one of the early standouts. Because the interview centres on the song rather than the plot, the premise is enough context for this piece.
How the writers approached the number
Sam Haft and Andrew Underberg wrote the song and tailored it to Criss. Their starting point was the premise itself. A character who is welcoming someone to Heaven, they reasoned, should sound like the moment is a celebration. In their words:
“If you’re being welcomed to Heaven, it’s a celebration. What’s more celebratory than Saint Peter singing like Michael Jackson over a jubilant Nineties-style house track?”
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That description is the writers’ account of their intention. It is not an outside assessment of the track’s genre or how it sounds to listeners. The Michael Jackson comparison refers to the vocal approach they had in mind, and the 1990s house direction refers to the instrumental feel they aimed for.
Shaping the voice to the character
Haft and Underberg also say Criss’s youthful-sounding voice shaped the performance. Set against a biblical character, that quality gave the writers a specific contrast to work with: an authority figure who sounds younger than expected and who is clearly enjoying the moment. The interview presents this as the writers’ reasoning during the song’s development, not as a technical analysis.
Production pace
According to Haft and Underberg, they were delivering demos at a pace of two songs a week during work on the episode that contains the number. That figure describes their workflow for that episode in 2024. It is not a general production statistic for the series or for animated musicals.
Why the songs carry story weight
Medrano’s account explains why a number like this exists at all. She says animation allows performances to be exaggerated, and she wanted the songs in her series to do more than entertain for a moment. Her stated goal was clear:
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In practice, this means the number is meant to advance the story and reveal character, not to pause the episode for a showpiece. The interview does not go into how each scene was structured, so the link between this principle and the specific staging of “Welcome to Heaven” rests on the creator’s stated intent.
Recording the part
Criss describes recording the role during a period when voice sessions were run with safety measures in place. He says voice-recording workflows already had Covid protocols by the time of his recording, and that the sessions were conducted with the director remote over Zoom.
The interview also includes a surprise. Criss says Richard Horvitz voice-directed his episode, and that he did not know this until Horvitz started speaking:
“I will say, as a sidenote: it was a pretty cool surprise for me to be voice directed by Richard Horvitz, who is something of an animation and voiceover-world cult favorite, and whose work I’ve loved for years. I had no idea he was the voice director on my episode, but as soon as he started talking, I recognized the voice immediately and had myself a little fan moment… That was nuts.”
This is Criss’s own recollection of the session. It is a first-person account, not a record that independent observers have checked.
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Where to hear the song
Amazon Music lists “Welcome To Heaven” as a track on Hazbin Hotel (Original Soundtrack). The listing is a 16-track digital album and credits Darren Criss, Shoba Narayan, Patina Miller, Andrew Underberg, Sam Haft, and Hazbin Hotel on that track. Its copyright line reads ℗© 2024 A24 Music.
That listing confirms that the soundtrack is available as a digital catalog entry and shows its credits. It does not confirm a physical CD or vinyl release, and it does not confirm which streaming services carry the album in each country. Check your local store or streaming app for current availability.
What the sources establish
The claims in this article come from different kinds of evidence. The table below separates them so readers can see how much weight each carries.
| Claim | Who states it | Type of evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Criss performs “Welcome to Heaven” as Saint Peter | Rolling Stone Canada interview, January 26, 2024 | Interview; listing confirms the track title |
| Haft and Underberg wrote the song and tailored it to Criss | Haft and Underberg, in the interview | Songwriters’ account; catalog credits list both writers |
| Intended mood is celebratory, with a Michael Jackson-like vocal reference over a 1990s-style house track | Haft and Underberg | Writers’ description of their intention, not an independent genre assessment |
| Songs should carry narrative weight rather than function as a gimmick | Vivienne Medrano | Creator’s stated philosophy |
| Covid protocols were in place for the recording and the director worked remotely over Zoom | Darren Criss | Performer’s recollection |
| Horvitz voice-directed Criss’s episode and Criss recognized his voice | Darren Criss | Performer’s recollection |
| Demo pace of two songs a week on that episode | Haft and Underberg | Songwriters’ account for one episode’s work; not a general production figure |
| Digital album with ℗© 2024 A24 Music copyright line | Amazon Music catalog listing | Catalog metadata; does not verify a physical release or territorial availability |
Taken together, the interview is strong evidence for what Medrano, Criss, Haft, and Underberg said about the number. It is weaker evidence for broader claims about how the series was produced, and nothing in it extends to other animated musicals.
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