PEOPLE Magazine Exclusively Premieres "Lips Of An Angel" and Its Music Video
PEOPLE MAGAZINE
EXCLUSIVELY PREMIERES
SHAYLEN & AUSTIN JOHN WINKLER’S
COUNTRY-INFUSED RENDITION OF
“LIPS OF AN ANGEL”
AHEAD OF ITS OFFICIAL RELEASE
THE SINGLE AND HARD-HITTING MUSIC VIDEO
OUT TOMORROW
Above: “Lips Of An Angel” Single Artwork
Credit: Casey Howard and Taylor Ballantyne
NASHVILLE, TN (August 29, 2023) — Today, PEOPLE Magazine exclusively premiered the country-infused rendition of “Lips Of An Angel” from breakout country artist Shaylen and Austin John Winkler — former frontman of Hinder — along with its explosive music video, ahead of its official release tomorrow, August 30. Being released via Two Hats Music Group, the re-recording of the iconic No. 1 song retains its original edgy rock elements and dynamic vocal prowess, while giving it a new country flare.
Pre-Save “Lips Of An Angel” here.
Accompanying the official release tomorrow, is the hard-hitting music video directed by Sean Hagwell, showcasing Shaylen and Austin John Winkler giving a powerful performance of the song as well as portraying the scenes of longing and heartbreak described within the lyrics. Read more about the single and its video ahead of its public release in the premiere and exclusive interview with PEOPLE Magazine.
“The 2005 Hinder hit ‘still rocks, but it's got a little country twist to it now…’” Winkler tells PEOPLE Magazine journalist, Tricia Despres. “So too does the music video have a little twist of its own,” Depres adds. “He [Brian Howes] was the one who connected us,” Austin continues. “That's how I first heard Shaylen's voice. I was blown away.” ‘Blown away’ certainly describes the similar feeling of Shaylen, a pop turned country darling whose rock side shines on the new version of “Lips of an Angel.” “When they told me that they would love for me to do it, I literally was dumbfounded,” Shaylen states. “And then to go meet Austin at RCA Studios…it just worked. He’s a f---ing rockstar of a human being.”
Music video teaser here.
The original release of “Lips Of An Angel” has made a lasting impact on the ears of listeners transcending multiple generations. 17 years later, the viral “female perspective” TikTok trend has caused a resurgence in the song’s popularity and now Shaylen and Austin are ready to give the official response. The re-release of this acclaimed track is notable for several reasons. Not only is it re-recorded by Austin himself, but he was back in the studio with the original co-writer and producer of the track, Brian Howes (Hinder, Nickelback, Daughtry, David Cook).
“I got to re-create the song with Brian producing it and I’ve been wanting to work with him again for a while now,” says Austin. “The production of the song has a hint of country and still rocks pretty good. The song is such a classic we didn’t want to change it up too much, but any changes are going to add a whole new flavor to the song.”
“The surge of ‘Lips Of An Angel’ on TikTok definitely had something to do with wanting to re-record it,” shares Winkler. “But also, the popularity of so many women taking it upon themselves to write their own versions of the song. It’s a timeless subject matter because people are human and they have moments of weakness sometimes when it comes to missing someone they loved.”
Leading up to the release, Shaylen and Austin have given listeners a look into the behind the scenes of the re-recording and the story behind the song with an artist-on-artist style conversation video (released August 16), as well as a teaser of the official music video set to accompany the single. The teaser — shared to Shaylen’s TikTok — quickly garnered over 900k views, a testament to the excitement building over the reimagined iconic song. Watch the artist-on-artist conversation on “Lips Of An Angel” below:
Powerhouse vocalist Shaylen hopped on the song without hesitation. “It truly shaped so many musical moments for me when I was younger and getting to have the honor of telling the other side of the story so many years later was a no brainer for me,” she shares. “I can literally remember exactly where I was, what I was doing and even the smell of when I first heard this song on the radio… to hear Austin’s voice followed by mine literally had me in tears.”
Throughout the whole process together, the two artists found they have a lot of similarities. “Shaylen’s a firecracker with a very cool and unique voice,” Austin praises. “I was very excited to see what she was going to bring to the song and she knocked it out of the park. She’s a great songwriter and artist who also writes about her experiences and struggles with love. We relate a lot in that way I think.”
Above: Austin John Winkler and Shaylen; Credit: Taylor Ballantyne