Austin John Winkler Enlists Shaylen to Put a Country Twist on ‘Lips of an Angel’: Watch (Exclusive)

Ex-Hinder frontman Austin John Winkler has never given much of a though about revisiting the iconic No. 1 single that put his former band on the map.

But then, he heard about a girl named Shaylen.

“So, there was a guy named Brian Howes, who actually [co-wrote and produced] the first ‘Lips of an Angel,” Winkler tells PEOPLE. “He was the one who connected us and that’s how I first heard Shaylen’s voice. I was blown away.”

Shaylen and Austin John Winkler.

Taylor Ballantyne

“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,” says the former pop artist who has already attracted much attention with country-tinged songs such as “Roots” and “What If I Don’t.” “And then to go meet Austin at RCA Studios…it just worked. He’s a f—ing rockstar of a human being.”

The reimagined version of “Lips on an Angel” also materialized thanks to the viral ‘female perspective’ TikTok trend, allowing for the chance to finally give the girl on the phone’s viewpoint.

“I mean, I think that’s the really cool part,” explains Shaylen. “You have the guy perspective in the original, but then you also realize women and humans in general go through this feeling every day. No matter if you’re male or female, you are always wondering if they’re doing good. It’s really cool to be given the opportunity to have that voice on the female part.”

Austin John Winkler and Shaylen.

Taylor Ballantyne

Shaylen Opens Up About Her Move from Pop to Country: ‘Something in My Heart Wasn’t Happy Anymore’

Certainly, “Lips of an Angel” is a song Shaylen has plenty of history with.

“It was definitely a childhood staple for me,” reflects Shaylen in a recent interview with PEOPLE about the song included on Hinder’s 2005 debut album, Extreme Behavior. “I would play Nickelback and then I would play Hinder. I’d look out the car window and I would think I was in a music video.” She laughs. “I was so dramatic!”

Shaylen and Austin John Winkler.

Aly Marotte

And Winkler is quick to note that the reimagined version of “Lips of an Angel” “still rocks, but it’s got a little country twist to it now,” so too does the music video have a little twist of its own.

“You think Austin and I the whole time are talking to each other,” says Shaylen about the storyline of the music video premiering exclusively on PEOPLE. “But when they set up the treatment, it was so sick because you think we were talking to each other and then you realize we’re both talking to other people. So, it’s a nice little turn of events because when I saw that, I was like, ‘Hell yeah, that’s fire.’”

Shaylen and Austin John Winkler.

Taylor Ballantyne

So too is the fire that ignites between Shaylen and Winkler in the music video.

“I think Shaylen and I share a lot of stuff like heartbreak — we’ve broken some hearts and we’ve had our hearts broken, and we may have broken our own hearts at some point, especially in this industry,” concludes Winkler. “We really jelled with the song — just kind of really felt it and connected to each other’s energies for sure.”

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Source: HIS Education