Dan + Shay Sing About A Love That Is Hard To Let Go Of In Third Number One Song "How Not To"

There are many things that I have admired about Dan + Shay since I became a fan in March, 2014, from their songwriting to skills to Dan Smyers' beautiful background vocals and harmonies as well as his innovative producing skills and everything else in between. While the duo has written the majority of their songs with other songwriters, there have been a handful of tunes they did not write. I can always tell they chose these songs carefully and put their own spin on the lyrics, production, and vocals. They were also able to connect with each one. When I have listened to these songs that others wrote, to me, it felt like the duo wrote them.

One of those songs is titled "How Not To" from their Obsessed album. It was written by Kevin Bard, Adam Hambrick, and Paul DiGiovanni. So far, this is the only one of Smyers' and Mooney's 11 number one tracks that they did not pen. It is about a love that is hard to let go of. It features a lot of vivid images so the listener can really take in what is happening.

The song has a 12 second opening with an electric guitar playing to introduce the first verse. Mooney on the lead vocals starts singing that he knows why the relationship has ended. He goes on to tell the story that the main male character can play leaving over and over again in his head. The next line he sings is, "I can give you the keys and take my things back, I can find plenty things to fill my days."

Now, Smyers joins in with his beautiful harmonies to accompany Mooney's stellar lead vocal in the chorus. The two start it with singing the lyrics, "But I don't know how not to think about you/When it's late at night and quiet." The pair go on to tell the story, "And I know that I out to be the one who is strong and just moves on." 

However, the main character does not seem to be ready to move on from the relationship right away, as the duo sing, "But I'll probably turn down your road, knock knock on your door, Fall back in your arms, wake up in the morning Hating myself for the way that I can't help the way I still want you." The chorus ends with the duo repeating twice, "I just don't know how not to, how not to, how not."

The chorus is filled with the duo's passionate vocals, really getting the message of the song across to the audience. 

The second verse states that the female character is someone that the main male character cannot let go of, as Mooney sings, "You're like second nature baby, you're just like breathin'." She is then compared to a song when the lead vocalist sings, "A melody that you hear and you can't forget." He goes on with his strong vocals to say, And time goes by and I still need you/Yeah you're worth the heartbreak and no regret."

The chorus repeats for a second and third time with the duo's passionate vocals as the song builds up, and after the last "I just don't know how not to, how not to, how not to", you hear part of the introduction to the track, but it ends it this time.

This was the first time Dan + Shay released a heartbreak/break-up song to country radio. It started going for adds on September 26, 2016 and reached the top of the Mediabase Country chart on June 11, 2017. On this track, the duo were able to open up and show that while they are masters at writing and performing love songs, they have also been on the other side of the spectrum and can also perform a heartbreak/break-up song. They started to show their vulnerable side early on with "I Heard Goodbye" from their debut album.

Below is the Instant Grat Video the duo released on their YouTube channel on May 16, 2016, which I will profile in a separate post. It features two professional dancers who tell the song's story with their dance. Enjoy! I am using this video for this post, as there was not a plain audio version of the song available on YouTube.