I first heard Dan + Shay's debut single "19 You + Me" on my local country radio station B-93 (93.7 FM) in October of 2013 and a handful of other times in early 2014. I really liked the sound of their voices, the lyrics, and the production on the track. It was a breath of fresh air for me from what I had been hearing on the radio during that period. However, at the time, I did not think to look up the name of the song or who sang it.
I finally got the answer to my question of who sang the song and the title in late March of 2014. I had a free Spotify account to stream music. One day I saw an advertisement on the app that said you could stream Dan + Shay's debut album "Where It All Began" for free one week before it was released. I looked at the track list and found out that the title of the song I had been hearing on the radio was called "19 You + Me". After one listen through of the 12-song collection, I was instantly hooked on this duo's music. Their vocals and harmonies were strong, the lyrics were fresh, creative, and clever, and the production was refreshing to hear. Listening to each track, I felt like I was right there in the stories they were telling. I listened to that album on repeat for a long period of time and I still circle back to it today when I want to feel the nostalgia and emotions from when the duo broke onto the country music scene. They have come so far since then!
In the coming months, I will profile each song from this album. These posts will include my review on all of the different aspects of the specific track that I am spotlighting at the time.
After I became a fan, I started to follow Dan + Shay on social media (Facebook, Twitter (now X), and eventually Instagram). I was very impressed to find out through their tweets and posts that they controlled their own accounts and still do to this day. Dan is the main contributor on the duo accounts and his personal accounts when it comes to the online interaction with fans. Over the last 11 years and still to this day, I will never take for granted my tweets Dan used to favorite and retweet, the replies he sent, and his likes and replies to my posts on Facebook and Instagram.
I also appreciate that they control their own social media accounts because their fans get to read the posts from their point of view. I can hear Dan's voice writing the posts through the words he uses. This is extra clear and evident when he has posted long recaps of each of their tour stops over the years.
To end 2014 on a high note, my friend and I got the opportunity to see Dan + Shay perform live for the first time at The Intersection. To me, the duo sounded even better live than they did on their album. My friend and I were in the middle of the standing-room only venue. While my feet were tired from standing after the concert, Dan + Shay made it so worth it!
When the concert was over, I received another once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to meet and take a picture with the duo. The only requirement was that I had to purchase one piece of merchandise, so I bought a tour t-shirt. When my friend and I got to the front of the line, we said hello to Dan + Shay. I still remember when Dan saw me come up, he said he remembered me from social media! He thanked me for listening to their music and promoting it on social media. Those comments from him meant so much to me then and still do today!
In the coming months, I will give a full review of my first Dan + Shay concert and additional meet and greet details in a separate post that will include pictures and videos!
2013 was the start of me hearing the duo on the radio, although I did not know who they were, and in 2014, I found out who they were and immediately fell in love with their music and the way that they interacted with their fans on social media and in person. My first year of being a fan was one for the books and things only got better as the years went on! I will continue my trip down memory lane with exciting highlights from 2015 in a future post!
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