For newcomer Cailyn Shelby, processing her thoughts and emotions through songwriting isn’t something new. In fact, the 21-year-old Cape Town-based musician, who already has a number one single under her belt, has been writing music since her early teens.

After the success of her debut single ‘My Four Friends’, the star premieres ‘Best Mistake’ as she opens up about accidentally stepping out of the friend zone and falling into a romantic relationship with someone she has known for a long time.

‘Best Mistake’ is a feel-good pop anthem with retro influences, which the singer wrote alongside platinum-selling artist-producer Daniel Baron, who also produced the song. Cailyn wanted to unpack the emotional logistics that come with taking this bold step – something she feels so many could identify with. The song has also debuted within the Top 10 on the iTunes Pop Chart, and is the highest positioned SA song on the chart.

Cailyn’s writing is mature and introspective, yet she manages to bring across a mix of honesty and playfulness to her music, something that certainly helps her stand out. "I wrote 'Best Mistake' while I was starting a relationship with someone that was already a good friend of mine. I felt that I could be 100% myself around him, and we kind-of stumbled into something more than friends," Cailyn explains.

She adds “I think that’s what was so special about it, you never had to put on a face of how you wanted the person to see you so you were always 100% yourself around them and got to experience the good and the bad without the pressure of feeling judged.”

Cailyn explains that working with Baron helped her package exactly what she was feeling into a catchy pop anthem which she is thrilled the world finally gets to hear. “I couldn’t have asked for a better person to work on this song with,” Cailyn admits. “I sent Daniel a voice note of me singing the song on piano. We had initially discussed the possibility of this song being a ballad but, ultimately, he gave the song a fun and funky feel that just worked.”

Daniel explains that working with Cailyn has certainly been a highlight for him. “From day one, Cailyn and I have been on the exact same wavelength. We created an entire album of music in a really quick period of time,” Baron shares adding that ‘Best Mistake’ is the first of a golden thread of pop gems set to be released by Cailyn this year.

In celebration of the new single, Cailyn is featured on the cover of Spotify’s popular SAlt playlist this week, which features the freshest indie music from South African and beyond.

‘Best Mistake’ is available on all major digital music platforms now. Download or stream it here: https://linktr.ee/CailynShelbyMusic.