Dan + Shay Go From Everyday Apparel To Fun Christmas Sweaters In Fun Holiday Content

When Dan + Shay released It's Officially Christmas: The Double Album on October 18, 2024, they were very engaged on their social media and YouTube pages from that time until New Years Day. The duo posted videos of their performances on Christmas specials, including one late night talk show, various music videos for their classic and original songs, and even some short fun content to brighten the holiday season.

One of those videos titled "Or as Mariah Carey says, "IT'S TIME" 🎄" was posted on November 4, 2024. Set to the duo's original song "It's Officially Christmas", the clip starts with Dan Smyers wearing a black t-shirt with a band on it while Mooney is wearing a plain black t-shirt. Both of the guys jump in the air and all of a sudden, they are now decked out in full Christmas garb. Smyers is now dressed in a festive red and green ugly sweater that reads Merry Christmas and has a Santa Claus below with silver trip on the sleeves. He is also wearing a Christmas tree hat. Mooney is wearing festive red ugly sweater that features a reindeer and snowflakes with a Christmas light headband on his head. They are dancing in place and singing the "Officially Christmas" chorus.

I thoroughly enjoyed all of the content they posted from when the album was released up until New Years Day. I listened to the double Christmas album on repeat every single day and it made me smile each time! It will always put me in a good mood whether it's the holiday season or not!

There will be plenty of more Dan + Shay Christmas content to come! For now, please enjoy 

the Christmas video content courtesy of Dan + Shay's YouTube channel shorts page!

Dan + Shay Talk About Latest Number One Song "Bigger Houses" Impact In January 20, 2025 Instagram Post

Dan + Shay found themselves at the top of the Mediabase country radio chart for the 11th time on January 19, 2025 with "Bigger Houses", a song centered around gratitude. The duo reflected on the title track of their fifth album and on January 20, Dan Smyers took to their Instagram account to talk about the impact this song has had on him and Shay Mooney as well as on their fans.

Smyers started the post with all caps. I could feel his excitement when I read the caption for the first time back in January. 

"BIGGER HOUSES IS OFFICIALLY #! AT COUNTRY RADIO," Smyers wrote. "Anytime you get to ring the bell, it's a career highlight and a huge win to celebrate with everyone involved, but this song is extra special for so many reasons."

He went on to talk about the deeper meaning of the song related to their everyday lives.

"Not only is it the title track to the album that saved our band, but it is a message of gratitude and appreciation that has truly inspired the way that we live."

Next, the producer and harmonist of the duo thanked his co-writers Andrew Albert, Jordan Reynolds, and Jordan Minton.

The majority of the songs on country radio these days are very upbeat. However, "Bigger Houses" does not fit into that category, yet it still made its way to number one thanks to their promotion team and country radio. 

"Thank you to our @warnermusicnashville team for championing this one all the way to the top of the chart," Smyers started. "It's not lost on us that working a song like this (no drums or shiny production) is a challenge, but you faced it head-on and delivered, like you always do."

Then, Smyers thanked everyone at country radio for helping the duo reach number one for the 11th time.

"Thank you to our country radio family for taking a chance on this song, and helping us share it with millions and millions of listeners, week after week," Smyers wrote. "Your support means more to us than we could ever put into words."

He ended the post by giving a nod to their fans. 

"You have always stood by us, through every high and every low, and we are forever grateful," Smyers began. "You believed in this song since the day we released it, and gave us the confidence to make it a single."

I am grateful that I was able to attend the March 14, 2024 show on the duo's Heartbreak On The Map tour. Being able to watch Smyers and Mooney perform "Bigger Houses" while sitting on top of the mini house was truly a moment of gratitude for them and for me as a fan as well. Smyers notated this to wrap up the post.

"Sitting on top of that house and hearing you sing these words back to us every night on tour was something we will never forget."

Stay tuned for more posts on this song, including my detailed breakdown of the lyrics, production, and vocals, and what the song means to me, as well as the numerous TV performances the duo have done of their latest number one hit.

Below is a link to Dan + Shay's Instagram post from January 20, 2025.

https://www.instagram.com/p/DFEPw1nxnXp/?img_index=1

Screenshot courtesy of Dan + Shay's 01/20/2025 Instagram post

The Backstreet Boys And Dan + Shay - A New Supergroup In The Making?

Growing up as a millennial, the Backstreet Boys were my favorite pop music group and "Full House" was one of my favorite television shows. Having listened to their albums in the last few years, I remember the most songs from their Millennium album. "I Want It That Way" is still my favorite song to sing along to! 

I also recall going to daycare and always making sure our caretaker turned the TV on when Full House was aired. Who could forget the Olsen twins playing Michelle Tanner, Bob Saget playing her dad, Danny Tanner, and the rest of the Tanner family?

Fast forward to the present in July, 2025. What do you get when you combine Full House, the Backstreet Boys, Dan + Shay, and Post Malone? I will give you the answer in a moment.

The Backstreet Boys are currently selling out their Into The Millennium tour at their Sphere residency in Las Vegas. Dan + Shay, along with Dan's wife Abby attended the July 26th concert. 

Here is the answer to my question above. Prior to the big show, the pop group that consists of five members, including Brian Littrell and Nick Carter, filmed a video with Dan + Shay and superstar Post Malone that parodies the opening and theme song to the late 80's and early 90's family sitcom Full House, that can be found on their social media accounts and YouTube channel shorts page. Dan Smyers and Shay Mooney make an appearance at the end of the clip, both wearing a custom-made blue Backstreet Boys jacket and Mooney wearing a Backstreet Boys t-shirt. 

Smyers' wife Abby also took to her Instagram account today (July 29) to document the concert experience. She posted a reel with the caption "Backstreet's Back, ALRIGHT." In the short video, Abby and Dan are seen singing along to the songs and dancing in the crowd. Mooney, who is sitting next them, is also seen singing along. 

She also took some video of the Backstreet Boys on stage with the high-tech scenery behind them as they performed. There was a spaceship and some galaxy scenes up in the clouds. It must have taken many extremely talented individuals and computers to pull of these magical, realistic looking scenes.

One last part of her reel includes a video of Smyers, Mooney, and Post Malone posing as a boy band. When they turn around, they are wearing their Backstreet Boys apparel.

Do you think this might mean there is a Backstreet Boys/Dan + Shay collaboration coming down the line? Or might there be a Dan + Shay/Post Malone collaboration in the future? Or do you think Smyers and Mooney and Malone were at the concert solely for the experience? Only time will tell, but a Backstreet Boys/Dan + Shay collaboration would make me especially excited! 

Below is the “Full House” parody video courtesy of the Backstreet Boys YouTube channel shorts page followed by a link to Abby’s Instagram post and some screenshots from her reel! Enjoy! 

                                           Video courtesy of the Backstreet Boys YouTube Channel shorts page

https://www.instagram.com/abbysmyers/reel/DMsw0N-JIoq/ - Link to Abby Smyers' Instagram Post

Screenshots are below!

Screenshot courtesy of Abby Smyers 07/29/25 Instagram Reel 

Screenshot courtesy of Abby Smyers’ 07/29/25 Instagram Reel 

Screenshot courtesy of Abby Smyers’ 07/29/25 Instagram Reel 

Screenshot courtesy of Abby Smyers’ 07/29/25 Instagram Reel 

Screenshot courtesy of Abby Smyers’ 07/29/25 Instagram Reel 

Hearing Dan + Shay’s Songs On The Radio Will Always Be A Treat To My Ears

When I became a Dan + Shay fan in March, 2014, their debut single “19 You + Me” had fizzled off the country radio chart. Their second single “Show You Off” hit country radio in May, 2014, and once my local country stations B-93.7 FM and Thunder 107.3 FM added the song to their playlists later that year, I would get very excited every time the upbeat song came on! If it came on when I was doing something, I would always stop and focus my attention on listening to the song until it was finished! This song eventually fizzled out too. 

However when Dan + Shay announced that their fans had spoken that “Nothin’ Like You” would be their third single in early February, 2025, I was extra excited. I was super motivated and worked hard to get my local country stations to add and then play my favorite song off the duo’s debut album! I requested this song like crazy and it all paid off when the duo was rewarded with their first number one single at country radio in December, 2015! I would get excited, freak out, and smile every time this song came on the radio! I remember feeling very emotional the first time I heard “Nothin’ Like You” when it was officially number one on B-93.7 FM.

My excited reactions continued when their forthcoming singles hit country radio, including “From The Ground Up”, “How Not To”, Tequila”, and “Save Me The Trouble”, to name a few of the hit singles. Each time one of their songs came on, it always felt like I was hearing it for the first time! Whenever I got to hear my favorite duo on the radio, I would message my friend Tarin (you might remember my first Saturday Spotlight session with her on May 31!) and tell her that a Dan + Shay song was on the radio! She would quickly tune in and listen with me! Then we would both tag the duo and our local station and say how excited we were to hear their song in a tweet on Twitter (now X)! Dan Smyers would always like our tweets! I really miss those days! I hope we can do this again soon, but on Instagram this time around!

Right now, I do not get to hear their songs very often locally, so occasionally when they do play one of Dan + Shay’s songs, it is a real treat to hear it, whether it is “Save Me The Trouble”, “Tequila”, or “Speechless”.

I am very excited for what is to come for the duo when they release a batch of new music! My excitement to hear this upcoming single on the radio will be through the roof!  I have a feeling this will be coming sooner rather than later, as I have mentioned in my recent posts. My hope is that this new music will really propel them at country radio. I want to see their next single climb the chart to number one and then be a recurrent (a song that stays on the playlist after it hits number one) for years to come. In my humble opinion and from what I have seen through the years of being a fan, Smyers and Shay Mooney truly deserve to be played five to 10 times a day on the radio every day. They work very hard to make the best music possible and they have the best connection with their fans. I hope they start to get the recognition and airplay they deserve once the new batch of music is released! 

Dan + Shay Reflect On Van Andel Arena Show (And More) In March 15, 2024 Instagram Post

I have been incredibly grateful that Dan + Shay have made five concert stops near me and one that was a little further away over the years. Stay tuned for future posts that will include my experiences at each of their concerts. 

On March 14, 2024, I finally got to see my favorite duo play in the arena setting and it was a night that I will truly never forget. I attended the Grand Rapids leg of the Heartbreak On The Map show with a group of seven friends at Van Andel Arena. I was on my feet for the majority of the night, singing every word to every song and taking videos and watching the duo look at the crowd in awe and giving their gratitude to us at several points during their set.

After each tour stop, the duo reflected on the night, including the audience and their performance, as well as what each city had to offer them during the day prior to hitting the stage. Dan Smyers took to their social media accounts to recap each concert with a caption and posted some of their favorite photographs from before, during, and after the concert.

The duo sold out many of their stops on the Heartbreak On The Map tour, including the Grand Rapids, MI show. Smyers started their Instagram post on March 15, 2024 by reflecting on their time spent in Grand Rapids over the last 11 years.

"Since the beginning of our career, Michigan has ALWAYS showed up for us," Smyers wrote. "From selling out The Intersection (remember when we crowd surfed?), to another sold out at Van Andel Arena, y'all have given us tour highlights we'll never forget."

Smyers went on to write about what he and Shay Mooney did in Grand Rapids before the show.

"Even though the weather was cold + rainy during the day, we still made sure to get out and explore one of our favorite cities," Smyers continued. "Cool coffee shops, restaurants, music venues; it reminds me a whole lot of my hometown, Pittsburgh."

Each time that I have seen Dan + Shay in concert, they have sounded amazing live. However, I have been able to tell that they take the time to improve on their craft, as they have sounded better each time I have attended one of their concerts, if that is even possible. Next in their Instagram post, Smyers reflected on their night with the sold out crowd in Grand Rapids.

"When it came time to hit the stage, we knew the energy was going to be electric," Smyers started. "Kicking it off with the biggest "Save Me The Trouble" sing-along yet, we took a journey through each of our albums that left us even more fired up to come back to Michigan later this summer."

He ended the post with gratitude.

"From the bottom of our hearts, thank you for an amazing night," Smyers wrote. "We sure felt the love. ❤"

I cannot wait for Smyers and Mooney to go out on tour again! Whether it is later this year, but I think it will more likely be in 2026. I will definitely be in attendance at least one of the concerts.

Below is a link to the Instagram post from 03/15/2025 with pictures from before and during the Grand Rapids show.

https://www.instagram.com/p/C4jOIm9xR1b/?img_index=1

Saturday Spotlight With Jordan Olsson: My Question And Answer Session With Devoted Dan + Shay Fan (Since October, 2013)

Here is my third Saturday Spotlight that I did via e-mail with my kind (online) friend and dedicated Dan + Shay fan, Jordan Olsson from Orlando, Florida. I connected with her on Twitter (now X) when I became a fan of the duo in March, 2014. She would always like, reply to, and retweet my tweets. I still see her posts on Instagram and we chat on that platform occasionally. Since I have not been able to see Dan + Shay in concert as much as she has, Jordan has always reached out to me on social media prior to my concerts to tell me how excited she was for me that I got to see the duo live again. I am very grateful that the duo brought Jordan's kind and sweet spirit into my life 11 years ago! As you will find out in her Saturday Spotlight below, Jordan has been a Dan + Shay fan since their debut single "19 You + Me" hit country radio in October, 2013.  

In this third session, I asked Jordan about her favorite Dan + Shay album and individual songs, where she has seen the duo over the years, some of the once-in-a-lifetime experiences she has had with them, and much more! At the end of this session are some of Jordan's favorite meet and greet pictures with the guys over the last 12 years!

Please enjoy reading my third Dan + Shay Fan Spotlight with Jordan!

Stacy (S): When did you become a fan of Dan + Shay and how did you discover them and their music? What were your first thoughts after you heard their music for the first time?

Jordan (J): I became a Dan + Shay fan when "19 You + Me" first hit the radio. My mom was driving me to classes one morning and the song came on. I instantly loved it, but we had an older radio so it didn’t say the song title and artist name like a lot of them do now. So, I tweeted the local station it was playing on and they answered back with the info. I just really enjoyed the vibe and vocals of the song and it instantly hooked me in. 

(S): How many times have you seen Dan + Shay live, including concerts when they were openers, at festivals, etc.? What were some of the venues? And if you had to pick one, which concert has been your absolute favorite and why? Tell me some details about that event.

(J): I have seen Dan + Shay 34 times. I’ve seen them at a bunch of Florida venues: Orlando’s House of Blues, Amalie Arena, Universal, Hard Rock Seminole, to name a few, as well as a couple great out of state venues: TD Garden Arena in Boston, PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh, Royal Oak Theater in Michigan, and Enmarket Arena in Savannah, Georgia. My favorite show if I had to pick one would probably be the Pittsburgh show. It was my first full concert after COVID and I was so excited to see the boys play again; not to mention it was also a hometown show for Dan and the energy was unreal! 

(S): How many times have you met the duo? What is your favorite meet and greet moment(s)? Does anything Dan + Shay said to you that was memorable or special stick out in your mind? If so, tell me about that memory!

(J): I have met the duo 23 times and my fave meet and greet moment was when I gave them handmade Funko Pop's I made of them! But my favorite moment of any meet and greet is when they see me for the first time and get excited and ask how I’m doing. 

(S): What is your take on the fact that Dan + Shay still to this day control all of their social media accounts to interact with their fans? What is your favorite memory when they have interacted with you in the past? Describe it and how it made you feel.

(J): I absolutely love that Dan + Shay maintain direct control of their social media! It makes it so much more special when they post and react with fans because you know it’s truly them. Jumping off my favorite meet and greet when they posted the Funko's to social media was really special; however my favorite social media memory was when they followed me! They posted a tweet asking if anyone was listening to Where It All Began and I said “the better question is when aren’t I listening to it?”, then got a follow moments later. 

(S): In this moment if you had to pick one of the six albums Dan + Shay have released so far including the Christmas album, which one all the way through is your favorite and why?

(J): Is it too cheesy to say the Christmas one because it’s my favorite holiday and I was begging for this album for over 10 years?! I also adore that they created original Christmas songs too. 

(S): In this moment if you had to pick your top three favorite songs from Dan + Shay (radio singles or not), what would they be? Tell me why each one is your favorite.

(J): The first one that comes to mind is "Parking Brake". I really loved it out of the jump of the first album. Then I attended a local radio show that the boys were doing and they asked if anyone had any requests (they were brand new at this point), so I shot my hand up and requested "Parking Brake". Now the next four minutes are such a blur, but one of the two, I think it was Shay, asked if I would sing it with them and I didn’t even hesitate before tossing my phone at my sister and jumping on stage. The second one is "Lately". Dan + Shay were announcing the song titles with a different fan each day and I was selected to announce this song. Once the album came out, I listened to this song first and I really liked it, and it has just kind of stuck since. The third is hard to pick, but I think I would go with "Keeping Score". Aside from the fact that THE Kelly Clarkson is also on the track, I really enjoy the story and a couple of my other Dasher friends did a little pit project in St Augustine. We wrote down “Tonight’s All I'm Living For” on a BUNCH of pieces of paper and then passed them out right before hand and all held them up during the song. It was so special, I cried. 

(S): What are the top two things you love most about Dan + Shay and why?

(J): The first thing I love the most about Dan + Shay is how genuine they are. Going back to controlling their own social media and always taking the time to interact with fans, but also in their personal lives. Dan is constantly giving back with Abby to help save animals and Shay is very family based. It’s amazing how grounded they’ve stayed despite the fame they’ve received and makes me really enjoy "My Side of the Fence" a little bit more. The second thing I love the most about Dan + Shay is how serious they take their music. They have been involved directly in writing and for Dan, producing a lot of their music, and I enjoy the personal aspects they incorporate into their music. 

(S): Is there anything else you would like to add that I did not mention in the questions above? Please feel free to tell me!

(J): Not anything that I can think of off the top of my head.

Top Left Photo: Freebird Live, Jacksonville Beach, Florida, March 8, 2015, Photographer - Patrick Tracy Bottom Left Photo: Germain Arena, Estero, Florida, May 31, 2014, Photographer - Patrick Tracy Top Right Photo: UCF Arena, Orlando, Florida, October 21, 2015, Photographer - Rob Norris Middle Right Photo: iTHINK Financial Amphitheater, West Palm Beach, Florida, July 21, 2018, Photographer - Catherine Powell  Bottom Right Photo: The Funko Pops Jordan created for Dan + Shay

New Faces Showcase Radio Show, Orlando, Florida, August 30, 2014, Photographer - Staff Member from K92.3 Radio Station

 

My Dan + Shay Trivia Questions From 07/22/2025

Below are the Dan + Shay trivia questions that I posted on my social media pages on July 22! Whether you participated in the polls on my blog Facebook and/or Instagram pages or not, please feel free to write in the comments of this post what you think the answers are! To give everyone plenty of time, I will update this post in one week with the correct answers! I will be excited to see what everyone's responses are! Happy guessing!

Question 1: Which song did Dan + Shay not write?

Possible Answer #1: “Lying”

Possible Answer #2: “Round The Clock”

Possible Answer #3: “How Not To”

Question 2:  Shay met Dan at Dan’s house party, which was located at?

Possible Answer #1: 240 Main Street

Possible Answer #2: 360 Peach Avenue 

Possible Answer #3:  507 Morton Avenue 

Question 3: Dan + Shay have collaborated with which of these artists?

Possible Answer #1: Miranda Lambert

Possible Answer #2: Kelsea Ballerini 

Possible Answer #3: Carrie Underwood 

"Throwback Thursday" To Dan + Shay Flawless Acoustic Performance Of "What You Do To Me"

Whether it is hearing Dan + Shay perform live, seeing them perform on YouTube videos, or listening to them through my earbuds or on the Alexa speaker, I enjoy every moment that I get to hear my favorite country music duo. 

While I am always impressed with and thoroughly enjoy Dan Smyers' co-producing on their albums and their extremely talented band members backing them up at their concerts, sometimes I think to myself that the duo could sing without any instruments and they would still sound amazing, with Shay Mooney's crisp lead vocals and Smyers' beautiful harmonies. Stay tuned for future posts when I break down a couple of a-cappella tracks they released in the past from their self-titled third album! You might remember when I broke down their a-cappella version of the Christmas classic "Silent Night" on May 25th.

In honor of it being "Throwback Thursday", I will take it all the way back to March 5, 2014 when Dan + Shay were just starting out. As part of their Warehouse Session series on YouTube, the duo posted an acoustic video of their song "What You Do To Me" from their debut album. The duo are seen in a warehouse. They are sitting on stools with Smyers playing his acoustic guitar. If you listen closely, you can hear his harmonies alongside Mooney’s vocals. Watching this video back, it is crazy that is was taken eleven years ago. Smyers and Mooney were so young, yet they sounded so mature and polished! You can see the passion in their eyes and faces during this performance!

Stay tuned for a future post about this song, breaking down its vivid lyrics and cool production along with the duo’s beautiful vocals. “What You Do To Me” is definitely one of my favorite tracks from their Where It All Began album.

Below is the acoustic video of the duo performing “What You Do To Me”! Enjoy!

     Video courtesy of Dan + Shay’s YouTube channel 

Dan + Shay Delight Fans By Releasing Unreleased Song "Sway" On "Obsessed" Album

In my first couple of years of being a Dan + Shay fan, the duo performed a few unreleased songs at the concerts I attended. They also sang them at some VIP meet + greet sessions that I watched on social media and YouTube. These songs were "Messed Up", "Out Here", "Partner In Crime", and "Sway". I have always loved hearing this collection of four songs and hoped that the duo would release them on their forthcoming albums. When Dan Smyers and Shay Mooney announced their second album Obsessed in April, 2016, I was elated to find "Sway" on the track list. The duo has not released a studio version of the other three songs yet, but I am still holding out hope that one day, they will because each one is unique.

"Sway" is a breezy summer love song. The lyrics remind me of "Can't Say No" from Smyers' and Mooney's debut album that I profiled on June 9, 2025. The duo has a knack for painting a picture with many of their tunes and this one is no exception. In fact, I could see an artist sitting at their canvas listening to this song and painting each of the scenes (verses) as well as one of the refrain. The lyrics are very vivid.

Shay Mooney leads the vocals throughout the song while Dan Smyers sings background vocals and harmonies. The track starts with the songwriters telling the female character that he wants her to come outside at dusk when the sun to hang out with him. The lyrics already start to paint a vivid picture with "There's a summertime southern breeze blowin' in the air tonight." Once they are outside, he requests to put some music on, and then sings about what he wants to do with her outside, including the lyric, "Let's watch the moon and the fireflies glow in the sky." Mooney continues singing about letting everything go with the girl so they can enjoy their time together.

Smyers joins in on the refrain with his beautiful harmonies and the duo continue to tell the story of the couple making their own music with their bodies and dancing slowly. Dan + Shay paint the picture with their voices singing, "And just sway put your head on my shoulder, let the music come and take us over/Let me pull you in a little bit closer, baby close your eyes why don't we just/Stay right here in the moment, I wanna feel ya movin' nice and slow yeah/When there's nothin' words can say, let's dance the night away and just sway."

The duo go into the shorter second verse that says the most important thing is that the male and female character are together enjoying one another's company with no distractions. With the lyrics "We don't need a DJ or a dance floor/So leave your high heels there by the back door/'tween you and me we got all that we need/So let me hold ya tight from left to right baby," Smyers and Mooney paint this picture with their voices and the rhythm moving the song along.

Next the duo sing the refrain with their beautiful voices for the second time.

That is followed by the bridge, which really paints a vivid and sensual picture of the couple dancing with Smyers and Mooney singing the lyrics, "My hands on your hips, your lips on my lips, kissin' all the worries away." They go on to sing, "Losin' ourselves, ain't nobody else around here to get in the way/Sway."

The duo repeat the refrain one last time.

The songs ends with the lyrics, "Come on outside I got somethin' to show ya/The sun is sinkin' and I'm dyin' to hold ya/Sway/Yeah" and then fades out.

I think this is such a fun song to "sway" back and forth to. I love the story that it tells and as always, Mooney nailed his lead vocals while Smyers nailed his background vocals and harmonies. I also love the simple production that moves the story along. According to the Obsessed album booklet, some of the instruments used on this song include electric guitar, acoustic guitar, and drums.

Stay tuned for a future post breaking down the acoustic performance of "Sway" at one of the duo's meet + greets.

                                            Audio video of "Sway" courtesy of Dan + Shay's YouTube channel

Dan + Shay Always Create Anticipation And Excitement When They Release New Music

Dan + Shay released their new single “Save Me The Trouble” a little over two years ago on July 14, 2023. Coming up on September 15, it will have been two years since the duo released their Bigger Houses album. At the end of May, 2025 months via their Instagram post, Dan Smyers and Shay Mooney hinted that they have been working on new music. However, they did not say when some of the new music would be coming out. 

While I do not know yet when exactly a new single or a handful of songs will be released, I have a feeling that it will be sooner rather than later. The duo always put their entire hearts and souls into all that they do. I need to stay patient and the wait for the new music will be worth it.

I became a Dan + Shay fan about a week before their debut album was released. While I was in love with the entire project and bought a physical copy of it shortly after it was released, I did not feel as much of the anticipation and excitement of it coming out like I did for their second through fifth albums. I think one reason behind this was I had just become a fan and I was grateful to have had the opportunity to listen to the entire album on Spotify for free the week prior to its release. There was no waiting time for me to hear the new album, as I had already been exposed to it. Do not  get me wrong,  I definitely was excited to play my new CD and there was some anticipation to go out and buy it, but not as much as I felt later on.

When Smyers and Mooney released their next new singles followed by their full albums (the first one being “From The Ground Up” on February 5, 2016, which would be on their Obsessed  album that came out on April 13, 2016), it felt like it was Christmas morning each time. My anticipation and excitement to hear the new singles and eventually the new albums was incredibly high! I have always stayed awake until midnight to hear the new song or album for the first time. And then I listened to the new song(s) or entire album on repeat several times until I got really tired. The duo’s new music has always been worth it to stay up until the wee hours of the morning for. I know I will continue to do it as long as they continue to put out new batches of music!

I will detail my past first listening experiences of their singles singles and albums in future posts. And I hope that very soon I will be able to post about my anticipation and excitement about Dan + Shay’s next chapter of music coming out! 

Warner Music Nashville President And Artist & Repertoire/Producer Give Dan + Shay Praise Early On

Dan Smyers and Shay Mooney came from different worlds musically until Mooney was invited over to a house party at Smyers' house that included a jam session. This brought the two together on December 7, 2012. 

In a YouTube video titled "Dan + Shay - Introducing Dan + Shay (Radio Tour EPK)" posted on their channel on December 15, 2016, fans got a glimpse of how the duo met, the connection they made right off the bat, and which artists influenced them to write country music. Warner Music Nashville President and CEO, John Esposito and Senior Vice President of  Artist & Repertoire/ Producer, Scott Hendricks also both sat down to talk about their thoughts about the duo and their relationship with them from the start.

"Me and Dan just really hit it off and we ended up writing the next day", Mooney said in the radio tour introduction video.

When I first heard the duo's debut Where It All Began album in March, 2014, I felt like I was listening to two guys who had been singing together for quite some time. Their vocals were tight, the production was fresh and different, and the lyrics told solid stories. I could tell that they wrote these songs from their own experiences on that first listen. That is how incredible they were as musicians, songwriters, and artists.

The magic that I felt between them in March, 2014, Smyers and Mooney also felt from the moment they met on December 7, 2013 and into 2014 as they continued making music together.

"When we got in the room together, it was just like instantaneous magic," Smyers mentioned. "We just knew that whenever we started writing, that there was a chemistry there."

The lead vocalist of the duo went on to talk about how they wrote song after song.

"We wrote sometimes two and three times a day," Mooney recalled. "It was crazy. We kind of got on a roll."

Scott Hendricks, Senior Vice President of Artist & Repertoire and Producer at Warner Music Nashville recalled how talented hard-working and talented the duo are.

"I don't recall ever seeing two writers churn out so many great songs in such a short amount of time, it's dumbfounding," Hendricks said. "They're on a roll. There's something very, very special going on between them, right?"

Smyers went on to talk more about this and why he felt like their debut album would make a connection with the listener.

"So, I think something that's super special about us is together we wrote all the songs on our album," Smyers said. "I think that gives the album kind of an honest feel."

Mooney then echoed the other half of the duo's statement.

When we do write those songs, a lot of times they're personal experiences," Mooney said. "And to sing something that you wrote that's true is an unbelievable feeling."

John Esposito, Warner Music Nashville President & CEO, talked about his connection with the duo and the passion that they brought to their craft early on.

"I really like these kids a lot on so many levels," Esposito said. "They make me smile, they come in with such energy and enthusiasm, it's insane."

The duo made a personal connection with me on social media right away and later on at my first concert of theirs. Hendricks felt the same way about Smyers and Mooney when he met them.

"They're just great guys," Hendricks said. "I already call them my friends." 

When it comes to the music genres that influenced the duo, they both had country music in common.

"It's just, music has always been a huge influence on my life, especially, you know, gospel and country music," Mooney said in the video. "Rascal Flatts was a huge influence."

The producer and harmonist of the duo was inspired by a different country artist initially.

"I think the first country artist I got into was Kenny Chesney," Smyers said. "I heard the song "I Go Back" and I couldn't believe the lyrical content, how it just took me somewhere, and it just made me feel something, and ever since then I've been listening to country music."

Their debut album has 12 tracks on it and while the duo was still new, Esposito wanted to do something he does not do often with artists who are just starting out.

"I rarely make the decision to get a record out as fast as we are with Dan + Shay because we need time to develop," Esposito said. "They already have 18 number one records that can be recorded in their demos, at least."

Hendricks went on to talk more about his relationship with the duo and why they are special.

"Working with them as a co-producer is a real honor," Hendricks said. "They have a unique system of how they go about doing it, and all's I'm trying to do is help them get better."

Below is the video that includes Mooney, Smyers, Esposito, and Hendricks backed to some of the duo's songs from their debut album and footage from the the studio and beyond. You can hear more about what Smyers had to say about Mooney's insane vocals and why he thinks they work so well together in the last section of the video! Enjoy!

                                            Video courtesy of Dan + Shay's YouTube Channel

Dan + Shay’s Impromptu Acoustic Performance Makes Fans Smile

While Dan + Shay were on their Heartbreak On The Map tour last summer, they asked their fans on social media which song they wanted to hear while the duo was hanging out before their show in Bangor, Maine. The winner was “Then Again”, a reminiscent song from their latest album, Bigger Houses, which I will break down in a future post. 

They filmed the acoustic performance video in their dressing room, with Smyers singing harmonies and playing the piano, while Shay Mooney stood alongside him, singing lead vocals. They sang the first verse and then the chorus.

Below is the video they posted on August 11, 2024 on their YouTube channel! Enjoy! 

Video courtesy of Dan + Shay’s YouTube channel from 08/11/2024

My Dan + Shay Trivia Questions From 07/15/2025

Below are the Dan + Shay trivia questions that I posted on my social media pages on July 1! Whether you participated in the polls on my blog Facebook and/or Instagram pages or not, please feel free to write in the comments of this post what you think the answers are! To give everyone plenty of time, I will update this post in one week with the correct answers! I will be excited to see what everyone's responses are! Happy guessing!

Question 1: Dan + Shay were coaches on "The Voice" for season. . . 

Possible Answer #1: 14

Possible Answer #2: 13

Possible Answer #3: 25

Question 2:  Where did Dan go to college?

Possible Answer #1: Penn State

Possible Answer #2: Carnegie Mellon University

Possible Answer #3:  University Of Pittsburgh

Question 3: How many number one songs have Dan + Shay had so far?

Possible Answer #1: 11

Possible Answer #2: 12

Possible Answer #3: 13

Dan + Shay Share Big Hug With The World On Number One Song "Glad You Exist"

To this day, one of the many qualities that I love about Dan + Shay is that they continue to stay grounded. Dan Smyers and Shay Mooney truly appreciate everyone who got them to where they are today, from their families and friends, to their entire team and supporters in country music, as well as their fans. The duo continue to show their gratitude onstage at their concerts, when they meet their fans in person, and on their social media posts.

Another avenue that Smyers and Mooney show how grateful they are for everything is in their music. One of those songs, "Glad You Exist", was released to country radio on February 5, 2021 and climbed to the number one slot of the Mediabase Country chart later that year on August 16. 

It is a positive, upbeat tune that feels like a giant hug to everyone in the duo's lives. This song was released in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. For me, I really missed not being able to see my family and friends in person, but I was grateful to be able to talk to a lot of them via phone calls and video chats. This song made me appreciate time my family and friends even more than I did prior to the pandemic starting.

The tune, which was written by Mooney and Smyers, alongside their co-writers, Ryan Lewis, Tayla Parx, and Jordan Reynolds, starts off with them showing appreciation for things that happened in the past. The first verse starts with Mooney's beautiful vocals backed up by the rhythm of an acoustic guitar and keyboard.

He begins by singing, "Here's to all the late night drunk phone calls that you picked up/Here's to all the bad decisions that you didn't judge." The lead vocalist continues singing, giving nod to "All the 'love yous' and the 'hate yous' and the secrets that you told me." He ends the chorus with the lyric, "Here's to everyone but mostly us." 

While they are giving appreciation to everyone in their lives, in the end the most important people in their lives are their respective significant others.

Up next is the chorus, which says that while we live in this world with so many people, we need to look at the smaller picture and appreciate those in our circle. During this section of the song, Mooney provides his beautiful lead vocals and Smyers lends his gorgeous harmonies, both backed up by the rhythm of the acoustic guitar, keyboard, and the drums.

The chorus starts with Mooney singing and Smyers harmonizing, "There's a couple billion people in the world/And a million other places we could be but you're here with me." The duo continue to sing, "Take a moment just to take it in/'Cause every high and every low led to this/I'm just so glad you exist."

This leads into the second verse. When the duo performed this song on award shows and live at their concerts, they would always smile at one another, especially during the first line. Mooney sings, "Hey, look, what a hello from a stranger turned into." On December 7, 2012, the duo met at a house party at Smyers' house and they immediately hit it off. Stay tuned for a future post on how their musical journey together started. 

Mooney continues to tell the story with the second verse lyrics, "Caught up in a moment like it's just us in this room/All the right words at the right time/And you know 'em 'cause you know me better than anyone else/We don't need anyone else."

Then the chorus repeats.

Next, Mooney performs the bridge, telling the songwriters significant others what is on their minds. "Don't you ever go, don't you ever go, don't you ever go changing/Never let me go, never let me go, never let me go, baby."

The chorus repeats for the third and final time and Mooney ends the song with one last "I'm glad you exist." Then he sings some "ooh's" until the song fades out.

Stay tuned for future posts about the duo's performance of this song on award shows. I will also write a post that includes the duo talking about how the song came to be. There will also be a commentary post on the acoustic version of the track!

Below is an audio video of "Glad You Exist" courtesy of Dan + Shay's YouTube channel! Enjoy!

“Throwback Thursday” to 2015 When Dan + Shay Performed “I Heard Goodbye” Live

 

Early on in their careers, Dan + Shay’s concerts were highly energetic; Shay Mooney was dancing and running all around the stage and Dan Smyers was as well when he was not playing his guitar. However, when the duo performed at The Intersection on their Just The Right Kind Of Crazy Tour on October 18, 2015, they slowed down their set in the middle with an acoustic rendition of their heartbreak song, “I Heard Goodbye”. With the duo sitting on stools, I could hear Smyers’ harmonies while he played his guitar and Mooney’s stellar vocals, as I was standing very close to the stage. I got chills and goosebumps during the performance. It really stopped me in my tracks and made me listen intently to the heart-wrenching story they told from their own past relationship experiences.

In honor of it being “Throwback Thursday” on my social media accounts, please enjoy the video I took at the top of the post of Dan + Shay performing “I Heard Goodbye” on October 18, 2015!

Stay tuned for a future post about this song when I break down the lyrics, production, and vocals.

 

You Can Chime In On “Welcome Wednesday”

Today is “Welcome Wednesday” on my social media accounts, so I thought I would also share the questions in my blog post! 

I asked my followers to feel free to answer these questions in the comments of my social media posts and/or of this blog post. I want to know your first name if you are willing to share, how long you have been a Dan + Shay fan, and besides their music, what is one quality you love about the duo as human beings?

I will start things off in this post! My name is Stacy. I have been a Dan + Shay fan since March of 2014. One of my favorite things about the duo is how much they love their fans! To this day, I still appreciate when they interact with me on social media. I will never take any of that interaction for granted!  

Now I look forward to hearing from YOU in the comment section below! I want to learn more about my blog readers and social media followers!

“All To Myself” Wins “Music Monday” Poll

I ran my weekly “Music Monday” poll on Facebook and Instagram yesterday through today. The three song choices were “Heaven + Back”, “19 You + Me”, and “All To Myself”! Dan + Shay’s sixth number one song, “All To Myself” was declared the winner, receiving 67 percent of the votes on both social media platforms! 

Stay tuned for more posts about this upbeat love song, which will include my breakdown of the lyrics, production, and vocals! 

In the meantime, please enjoy the cool icon video for the song above, courtesy of Dan + Shay’s YouTube channel! Each video they have put out is creative and unique. This one is no exception! 

Dan + Shay Entertain On Roller Skates in “Santa Claus Is Coming To Town” Music Video

Official music video courtesy of Dan + Shay’s YouTube channel 

In honor of it being Christmas in July, I want to share the fun, hilarious music video Dan + Shay made last year for their cover of “Santa Claus Is Coming To Town” from their double Christmas album! Dan Smyers and Shay Mooney skated down the streets of Nashville in their warm weather Santa Claus costumes while lip syncing to the lyrics! From watching this music video several times, it looks like the duo had a lot of fun with the filming process, but I could also tell that Mooney struggled a bit to stay on his feet, but somehow, he stayed upright, at least in the edited, final version! 

The duo brought so much joy to my life on October 18, 2024 when they released their double Christmas album. Stay tuned for a future post breaking down Smyers’ and Mooney’s studio version of this classic, including the vocals and production.

Enjoy the music video for this song at the top of my post, courtesy of Dan + Shay’s YouTube channel!

A Pause In The Content For A Thank You And Feedback Request

 Hello to everyone who has been reading my blog posts, whether it is daily or intermittently, I truly appreciate your support! I want to pause on my daily content today to share some blog and social media updates with. I also would appreciate it if my readers could share their blog and social media feedback to help me improve both aspects of my passion project! You can share any and all feedback in the comment section below of this blog post.

First of all, to those of you who are reading my blog posts and interacting with my Facebook and Instagram pages (following both of them, liking my link posts, participating in my activities, etc.), I want to say THANK YOU from the bottom of my heart for your support! It means a lot to me!

Secondly, I continue to have fun coming up with content for my posts and writing those posts! I hope you are enjoying reading these posts as much as i am enjoying writing them! Recently,  I started doing some shorter posts with a video to watch! I think I’m going to continue to do stretches of shorter posts and then stretches of longer posts to mix things up! 

Next, I would truly appreciate your feedback on my blog and social media pages, whether it’s positive, something you do not like, or things you think I can improve on, change, etc.! Nothing is off limits here! I am open to hearing your thoughts!

To start, I want to know, wha type of posts do you enjoy reading the most? Song reviews? Music video reviews? Dan + Shay content video commentary? Award show speeches? Award show performances? My trips down memory lane with Dan + Shay All of the above? Is there anything else you want me to cover that you have not seen yet?

Secondly, I want to know, is it easy or difficult to add a comment on the blog post itself? If it is difficult, please tell me what makes it hard to post a comment. I have been posting my social media trivia questions on my blog on the weekends, but I have not seen many answers in the comments, so I was wondering if that has to do with the accessibility to the comment section. 

Thirdly, my Facebook page is https://www.facebook.com/dailydashofdanandshay and my Instagram page is https://www.instagram.com/dailydashofdanandshay. Are you able to find these accounts easily to follow me, participate in my Tuesday trivia polls, interact with my posts, etc.? If not, please tell me what might be difficult to find my pages! I want to make it as easy as possible for my readers to find my social media pages!

Next, I have started doing new segments on my blog and/or social media pages. I am doing a “Music Monday” feature where my followers vote on the song they want to hear in a post. I continue to do “Trivia Tuesday” with polls, “Welcome Wednesday” where I ask my followers a question and they can post their answers in the comments of my post. And I recently started to do “Throwback Thursday” and “Flashback Friday” posts where I ask my followers for pictures, etc. in the comments of my social media pages to have some fun! If my readers have any feedback on any of the topics above, please let me know so I can improve each one!

Finally, I know it takes a lot of time to build a blog following and a social media following. Again, I truly appreciate every person who is reading my posts, following me on Facebook and Instagram, and interacting with those accounts! 

I would also truly appreciate if you could spread the word about my blog and social media pages to your friends and family who like country music! Please feel free to tell them to check out my blog, follow my social pages, and even share the links on your social media accounts. That would mean the absolute world to me!

Thank YOU in advance for reading this long-ish post and I look forward to reading your feedback in the comments!

My Dan + Shay Trivia Questions From 07/08/2025

 Below are the Dan + Shay trivia questions that I posted on my social media pages on July 1! Whether you participated in the polls on my blog Facebook and/or Instagram pages or not, please feel free to write in the comments of this post what you think the answers are! To give everyone plenty of time, I will update this post in one week with the correct answers! I will be excited to see what everyone's responses are! Happy guessing!

Question 1: Fill in the song title with the correct word!

Possible Answer #1: “Save The Santa”

Possible Answer #2: “Save The Elf”

Possible Answer #3: “Save The Snowman”

Question 2:  Who had long, curly hair from 2019 through early 2023?

Possible Answer #1: Dan

Possible Answer #2: Shay

Question 3: Dan has which of the following?

Possible Answer #1: A younger brother 

Possible Answer #2: An older sister  

Possible Answer #3: A younger sister 

Flashback Friday To When Dan + Shay Announced Their New Single and Upcoming Album

Two years ago today on July 11, Dan + Shay announced on social media that their new single, “Save Me The Trouble” would be released on July 14, which happened to be on my birthday! I was very excited that they were going to put out a fresh, new single on my birthday! I stayed up until midnight and listened to their biggest vocal production yet on repeat for some time before I went to bed. 

Fast forward to July 13, two days later, when the duo announced that their forthcoming Bigger Houses album would be out just over two months later on September 15 and it could be pre-saved now. “Save Me The Trouble” was available to purchase or stream, in addition to two other new songs from the upcoming album, “Heartbreak On The Map” and “Bigger Houses”. In the caption of their July 13 Instagram post, the duo wrote, “We poured every bit of our hearts into this album and truly cannot wait for y’all to hear it. New era starts now! 🏠” 

I remember listening to all three songs on repeat during my birthday weekend and I could not stop smiling. I was so happy to finally have new music in my ears from my favorite country music duo! I still have this album on repeat every day!

Stay tuned for plenty more posts about the duo’s latest album!

At the top of this post is a screenshot of their album announcement post on Instagram from July 13, 2023 and below that is clip of the “Save Me The Trouble” music video teaser from Dan + Shay’s YouTube channel that was released on July 11, 2023.

Dan + Shay Hit High Notes on "Keeping Score" on Early Morning Performance on The Bobby Bones Show

Dan + Shay have been frequent guests over the years on The Bobby Bones Show, a nationally syndicated country radio morning show out of Nashville, Tennessee. Dan Smyers and Shay Mooney are good friends with Bobby Bones, the show's host. The duo made a few appearance on the show in late June, 2018 when they released their third self-titled album to perform a few acoustic songs live on the air. One of the songs was "Keeping Score", the duo's collaboration with pop star, Kelly Clarkson. With Smyers singing harmonies and playing his acoustic guitar, Mooney singing lead vocals and also covering Clarkson's parts, and their co-writer, Jordan Reynolds playing the keyboard, they performed a flawless acoustic rendition of the song. Despite it being early in the morning, Mooney was ready to sing all parts of the song, which included hitting all of the high notes. He can sing them at any time of the day - morning, afternoon, or night.

Stay tuned for future posts about the duo's appearances on The Bobby Bones Show over the years, which will include their interviews with the host and several other acoustic performances of their own songs as well as cover songs.

Enjoy the video below of the duo performing "Keeping Score" on the Bobby Bones show on June 21, 2018!

                                            Video courtesy of The Bobby Bones Show's YouTube channel

I Want To Hear From My Readers

I want to hear from my readers and have some interaction on my blog today! Below, I am going to pose two  questions and give my answer to each one. In the comment section of this post, I want YOU to feel free to answer each of my questions! I cannot wait to read what YOUR favorite things about Dan + Shay and their music are! I will make sure to reply to your comments! 

1) If you had to pick one, which Dan + Shay album (including their recent double Christmas album) and why?

-While I love every song on each of their albums, I would have to say that their latest album, “Bigger Houses” is my current favorite. I have not been able to take this album off repeat since it came out on September 15, 2023! It has a great variety of upbeat songs, including “Breakin’ Up With A Broken Heart” and “Heaven And Back” as well as some slower songs like “Missing Someone” and “For The Both Of Us”. One of the big themes on this album is heartbreak and songs like “Breakin’ Up With A Broken Heart” and “Heartbreak On The Map” have been therapeutic for me with some things that I have gone through in the last few years. Music really heals! 

2) If you had to pick one of Dan + Shay’s concerts that you have attended over the years, which one was your favorite and why?

-I am very grateful that I have had the wonderful opportunity to see the duo in concert six times so far. While I have enjoyed each concert for different reasons, I would have to say seeing them on The Heartbreak On The Map Tour on March 14, 2024 was my favorite. I had not been to one of their concerts in seven years up to this point. This was my first time seeing them in the arena setting and they absolutely blew me away from the start of their set to the end. I was able to witness their growth as entertainers, performers, vocalists, and musicians that night. I was also able to witness their awe moments when they stopped after a performance for the applause or were talking to the crowd about how grateful they are for what they do. Even though I was up in the upper bowl of the arena with my friends, I could feel Dan + Shay’s presence from that far away. That night I also got to hear so many songs I had not heard live before, including “Tequila” from their third album, “Glad You Exist” from their fourth album (I am having issues uploading this video. I will work on posting it again tomorrow), and a slew of songs from their latest album! I was on my feet almost the whole time! It was a night that I will never forget! Stay tuned for a future full concert review post!

Now I want to hear from YOU! Please post your answers to both questions in the comment section below! 

Dan + Shay Put On Their Dancing Shoes In “Lying” Music Video

On Dan + Shay’s fourth album, Good Things, “Lying” is one of the upbeat tracks that makes you want to get up to dance! The production throughout the song was inspired by Bill Withers’ hit, “Lean On Me”. 

The song was not a radio single; however, the duo made an official music video for it, with Dan Smyers and Shay Mooney showing off the line dance moves they learned prior to filming the video.

Stay tuned for more posts about this song, including my commentary on the production, songwriting, and vocals, as well as a full play-by-play post on the music video.

Enjoy the music video below, courtesy of Dan + Shay’s YouTube channel!

"Speechless" Wins "Music Monday" Poll On My Social Media Pages

I officially launched my "Music Monday" feature on the Daily Dash Of Dan + Shay social media pages last week. Each Monday, I will present my followers with three of the duo's songs to choose from in a poll, and toward the end of the day, I will post a link to the song that receives the most votes. 

Today's options were "Speechless", "What Took You So Long", and "What You Do To Me". There have not been any votes on my Facebook poll yet. On my Instagram page, "Speechless" has received three votes, while "What Took You So Long" has received two votes so far. "What You Do To Me" has not garnered any votes yet. So, this week's winner is "Speechless"!

This song was the second single released to country radio from the duo's third self-titled album. The romantic love and wedding song earned Dan Smyers and Shay Mooney another number one at country radio.

There will be plenty more to come on this huge hit for the duo, including my commentary on the lyrics, production, and vocals of the original track, the acoustic version of it in the video below, and my commentary on the music video that features real footage from Smyers' and Mooney's respective weddings.

You can enjoy the acoustic audio of "Speechless" below courtesy of Dan + Shay's YouTube channel! 

Video courtesy of Dan + Shay's YouTube channel

My Dan + Shay Trivia Questions From 07/01/2025

Below are the Dan + Shay trivia questions that I posted on my social media pages on July 1! Whether you participated in the polls on my blog Facebook and/or Instagram pages or not, please feel free to write in the comments of this post what you think the answers are! To give everyone plenty of time, I will update this post in one week with the correct answers! I will be excited to see what everyone's responses are! Happy guessing!

Question 1: What is Dan and Abby's oldest dog's name?

Possible Answer #1: Hope

Possible Answer #2: Joy

Possible Answer #3: Love

Question 2:  What is Shay and Hannah oldest son's name?

Possible Answer #1: Ames

Possible Answer #2: Aubrey

Possible Answer #3: Asher

Question 3: Finish with the correct lyric: "It was out first week, at. . . 

Possible Answer #1: Myrtle Beach

Possible Answer #2: Miami Beach 

Possible Answer #3: Huntington Beach

Dan + Shay Have Number One Success With Lead Single From Four Out Of Five Albums

Dan + Shay and their team have always had a knack for picking the right lead single from their albums to send to country radio. Four out of the five singles reached number one on the Mediabase chart. From reminiscing on a past summer love in "19 You + Me", to remembering things from a toxic past relationship when the main character drinks "Tequila", and a massive vocal track full of heartbreak and revenge, with the main character wanting the girl to give the pain to someone else in "Save Me The Trouble", and everything in between, these lead singles have covered a range of topics.

I did not know anything about the duo when their debut single "19 You + Me" was posted to their YouTube channel on August 20, 2013 and launched to country radio later that year on October 13. However, I do remember hearing the song on my local country radio station a couple of times after it was released, not knowing who they were, and I thought to myself, "This song sounds different and fresh." While their debut single did not hit number one at country radio (it finished at number seven according to an article from country music website, the Boot titled "Top 10 Dan + Shay Songs), it still had success and put the new duo on the map. Stay tuned for future posts about this song, including my commentary on all aspects of it (the lyrics, production, and vocals), the music video, and so much more!

After Dan Smyers and Shay Mooney's third single from their debut album "Nothin' Like You" awarded them them their first number one at country radio on December 5, 2015, there was a short hiatus on their social media pages. The duo was preparing to release the lead single from their forthcoming second album in 2016. On February 5, they announced that their next single was called "From The Ground Up", a tune that was written after reminiscing about the love their grandparents shared, and the kind of love they wanted to have in their own relationships. The song was released to country radio on February 22, 2016 and hit number one at country radio later that year on August 22.

Fast forward to January 10, 2018 when the duo released "Tequila", the lead single from their third forthcoming album. The song went to country radio on January 15 and it hit number one at country radio later that year on July 1. It was the duo's first multi-week number one, staying at the top of the chart for two consecutive weeks.

In October, 2019, it was time for another lead single to be released. This time it was "10,000 Hours", the duo's collaboration with global pop star, Justin Bieber. Their fourth album "Good Things" did not come out until 2021. However, Smyers and Mooney started releasing a string of singles a couple of years prior to see what the response would be. This song was released on October 5, 2019 and would reach the top of the country radio chart on January 22, 2020, their fastest climb to number one up to that point. It was also a crossover hit for the duo. Stay tuned for more posts about this massive hit.

The duo's latest lead single, "Save Me The Trouble" was released on July 14, 2023 and hit number one at country radio on January 9, 2024. Stay tuned for more posts about their latest number one hit.

I anticipate that the duo will release another lead single from their sixth studio album before the end of 2025. I cannot wait to share their news and my excitement with you once the duo is ready to announce it on social media!

https://theboot.com/top-dan-and-shay-songs/

"Flashback Friday" Dan + Shay "Tequila" Performance Video On Independence Day In 2018

 In honor of today being the 4th Of July, I am going to post a YouTube video for my "Flashback Friday" post and on my social media pages. Dan + Shay performed at Pier 17 in New York City on Independence Day in 2018. They were the opening act for Carrie Underwood that night and sang many of their hits to the crowd, including their newest one at the time, "Tequila". The duo encouraged everyone to sing as loud as they possibly could and the audience sang the words back to them.

Below is the video (dan and shay AT PIER 17) courtesy of Jacqueline Jaskulek's YouTube channel. Enjoy! Happy Independence Day everyone! 

"Throwback Thursday" Clip Of Dan + Shay Performing “Nothin’ Like You” In 2015

On Monday I did my second “Music Monday” post via my social media pages. I polled my followers, asking them which song they wanted to hear. The choices were “Nothin’ Like You”, “All Nighter”, and “How Not To”. Dan + Shay’s first number one single, “Nothin’ Like You” received the most votes! I made a post and put a YouTube link in the comments for my followers to click on to listen to the song.

In honor of the song winning, and with today being my first  “Throwback Thursday” on my social media pages, I want to share the video at the start of this post that I took of the duo performing “Nothin’ Like You” from the front row during their Just The Right Kind Of Crazy tour at The Intersection on October 18, 2015, almost ten years ago! I have not watched this video in a long time, but watching it tonight put a huge smile on my face! I can hear myself and others in the crowd singing along with Dan + Shay! I hope this video also puts a smile on your face! Enjoy!

Dan + Shay Give Fans Acoustic Taste Of “You” In Clip

Dan + Shay are known for their acoustic performances as I have written about in past posts. They posted an acoustic clip of their song “You” to their social media pages and YouTube channel on October 28, 2021 while they were on the road.

In the clip that the duo shot sitting on a couch on their tour bus, they sang the first verse and the chorus of the love song, which features Shay Mooney’s beautiful soaring vocals and Dan Smyers’ beautiful harmonies while he is playing his acoustic guitar. I truly love watching these guys perform! 

Later, thanks to a lot of fan requests, Smyers and Mooney released a full acoustic version of “You”.

Stay tuned for future posts on this song, including my breakdown of the lyrics, production, and vocals of the studio version, my commentary on the full acoustic version, and a cool television performance of the song!

Enjoy the acoustic clip of Dan + Shay performing “You” below, courtesy of their YouTube channel! 

Video courtesy of Dan + Shay’s YouTube channel on the Shorts page  

Dan + Shay Genuinely Surprised To Win First Grammy Award

The 61st Annual Grammy Awards aired on CBS on February 10, 2019. Dan + Shay were nominated for their first Grammy Award in the Country Duo/Group Performance category for their smash hit "Tequila". The duo were also slated to perform the song on the show in front of the crowd at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California as well as to millions of people watching at home.

I remember being very excited and feeling emotional to watch my favorite duo perform their massive song on the national stage that night. Stay tuned for a future post with my commentary on that performance. They absolutely blew me away!

The Grammy Awards is an all-genre award show, so they are not able to show all of the categories during the broadcast. Earlier in the day, there was a separate ceremony for many of the categories. The duo had some strong competition in the Country Duo/Group Performance category, with duo Brothers Osborne, a collaboration of Maren Morris featuring Vince Gill, pop star Bebe Rexha and Florida Georgia Line, and Little Big Town rounded out the nominees.

Dan Smyers and Shay Mooney were seated toward the back of the auditorium with their respective wives and team members. When it was announced that they won their first Grammy, the duo were seen hugging their wives and team members, with the duo hugging one another when they got to the aisle. They took a long walk to the stage to accept their award.

Smyers started the acceptance speeches, stating that he and Mooney were surprised to win their first Grammy.

"We had no expectations to win this," Smyers said. "So many people to thank. Thank you to the Recording Academy, everybody who voted for us, all the incredible artists in our category."

He went on to praise the other country music nominees and ended his speech with more shout-outs.

"It's the beautiful thing about Nashville and country music. We are all family, we all root for each other. I love you guys, you're amazing," Smyers said. At the end, he gave shout-outs to the duo's team, his co-writers on the song, Nicolle Galyon and Jordan Reynolds, as well as to his wife, Abby and Mooney's wife, Hannah.

Next it was Mooney's turn to talk. He gave gratitude to his family.

"Oh my goodness," Mooney started. "My parents watching right now at home, I love you guys. Mom and dad, Gabby, Erica, my little boy, he's two. He probably doesn't know what's going on right now, why I'm on the TV, but I love you Asher. To my beautiful wife Hannah. Thank you so much."

He ended his portion of the speech by thanking the Recording Academy and telling the audience that he was surprised to win the award.

"To the Recording Academy, I can't believe this just happened," Mooney said. "I'm a little bit blown away and I might be about to pass out. Thank you guys so much. This is an incredible honor."

Below is the video of Dan + Shay accepting their first Grammy Award for "Tequila", courtesy of Recording Academy/Grammys YouTube channel. Enjoy!