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Kaiwyn is caught in a love triangle of shimmering new single ‘The Cut After The First’

“Realisation and insight hold a strong theme in this song,” singer-songwriter Kaiwyn said of his new single The Cut After The First. 

Kaiwyn has released his new single The Cut After The First. A tender musing on mistimed romance, the acoustic pop track opens with rustic guitar strums and Kaiwyn’s gentle vocal delivery. Shimmering production punctuates the singer’s reflection on “the God forsaken curse” of unrequited love, made all the more melancholic by the twang of mandolin and banjo strings. 

The Cut After The First was produced by Simon Dobson, with composition courtesy of Hoi Mun Kevin Tang. The collaborative effort sees a range of unique quirks littered throughout the single, with Kaiwyn incorporating the sound effect of scissors to accentuate his rumination on heartbreak. Kaiwyn’s vocals remain the major drawcard of the track, pairing seamlessly with glittery synths and the alt-pop stylings of subtle electric guitar. 

Kaiwyn single 'The Cut Above The First'

The steady lead line of the guitar gives The Cut After The First a storytelling quality, as if Kaiwyn is recounting an age-old tale from his youth. “I don’t know where you disappeared,” he pines atop serenading strings, “and my friends said, you’re back with him.” It’s the kind of universal yet intimate songwriting that you might hear from the likes of Cat Stevens or Carole King, with Kaiwyn providing an insight into the throes of a teenage love triangle. 

While a sadness underpins much of the single’s themes, The Cut After The First is uplifted by its otherwise dreamy production. Mellow drum sequences give the track a soft-rock quality, which punctuates Kaiwyn’s moment of realisation on the outro. In between echoey vocal riffs, Kaiwyn sings resolutely of his “wound would heal,” with an exhaling sound effect bringing a sense of bittersweet finality to his love story. 

“Realisation and insight hold a strong theme in this song,” Kaiwyn said in a press statement. “The process of recording a song that I wrote in my teenage years as an adult is quite empowering. I was able to learn that growth is ongoing, and we are unconsciously moving forward with time.” 

The lyrical themes continue on the single’s B-side, Future Me, which forefronts powerful strings and details Kaiwyn’s full-circle moment of acceptance and contemplation. Growing up in the outskirts of Kuala Lumpur but now based in Australia, Kaiwyn’s passion for music was borne from a young age, and remained strong as he completed his medical degree. 

Kaiwyn single 'The Cut Above The First'

Since then, the singer-songwriter released his debut single Dedicated to You in August of last year, with sophomore effort You’re My Kind arriving shortly after. Listen to Kaiwyn’s new single The Cut After The First and the Future Me B-side below, and check out the single’s official lyric video above.