Shaylen
Biography
Shaylen leaves a mark on pop by casually dropping the sort of lines you get tattooed somewhere scandalous or reserve for a drunk DM. Unafraid, unapologetic, and unfiltered, she’ll put a boring ex on blast in one breath and open up about her deepest insecurities in the next. Yet, she gleefully pins those confessions to a defiant soundtrack of pop, R&B, and alternative. Posting up over 10 million streams within a year and receiving praise from Billboard, Just Jared, Hollywood Life, Popdust, and Idolator who pegged her as “on the brink of a major breakthrough,” the Los Angeles-based singer and songwriter turns heads in 2020 with a series of singles and her forthcoming full-length debut for Republic Records.
Born in Chattanooga, TX, she grew up in Dallas, TX. After classical training on the piano, she enrolled in master classes at the world-renowned Septien Entertainment Group—alma mater to the likes of Selena Gomez and Demi Lovato, to name a few. Her career twisted and turned from touring in a successful global group to relocating to L.A. where she landed a publishing deal with Pulse. Shaylen initially made her bones as a songwriter.
Simultaneously, she cultivated a singular style of her own. Landing a deal with The Heavy Group and Republic Records, Shaylen incited buzz with her 2019 EP, Highs & Lows. Boasting bold bars like “Yeah, you ain’t no porn star baby. Yeah you are kinda lazy, and I was always faking with you,” the single “BTW” generated over half-a-million streams. Premiering “Own Way,” Just Jaredchristened her “one of the top rising acts you need to know about.”
She closed out 2019 with the single “Sprite.” Emanating cheeky confidence, she nimbly rhymed “Kryptonite” and “Sprite.” With lyrical prowess on point, her delivery spanned sassy verses and an unnervingly undeniable refrain punctuated by the confession, “Love you so much, it really fuckin’ sucks.”
Meanwhile, the video brings the emotion and vision to life.
Shaylen says, “Mixing anything with the Sprite is a metaphor obviously! Mixing a bad relationship with Sprite is just fucking toxic. It’s no different than mixing a drug with a drink or alcohol. In the video, you can see how I live in two worlds. One is toxic, sparse, and bleak. In the other world, I am free, free to be myself, and free to live how I want to live. The two worlds don’t mix well, even though we think they do. It shows how I actually feel inside.”
Ultimately, Shaylen continues to show how she feels via her upcoming new music, leaving a mark with every mood, song, and lyric.