The track was written by Hayes and long-time writing collaborator Robert Conley, and was co-produced by Justin Shave, who was credited as one of the main producers on Hayes's third studio album, This Delicate Thing We've Made. Unlike the remainder of the album, the track emphasises a darker, jazz and blues kind of melody, and was written as one of the first tracks for the album. The track was hand-picked by Hayes for release as a single, due to its popularity amongst fans and its personal meaning to himself.
Music video
The music video for "Stupid Mistake" premiered on Hayes' official YouTube account on 5 April 2012, at a total length of three minutes and forty-seven seconds.[1] The music video shows Hayes in a dark room, which appears to be his dressing room, sitting in front of a mirror, whilst dressing himself up as a clown. Once completely in costume, Hayes appears to make his way to the stage to perform the remainder of the song in costume. The video was directed and produced by Richard Cullen, Hayes' husband.