Dan + Shay have been known to dress up and celebrate Halloween over the years, whether it was on stage at a concert or at home with their families. It always looked like they had so much fun on the October 31 holiday!
In honor of Halloween today, I took a trip down memory lane with some of the fun pictures the duo have posted on their Instagram account as well as some from Dan Smyers' wife Abby's Instagram account. From the guys hitting the stage in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle costumes when they first started as a duo, to Abby and Dan dressing up as two of their dogs Chief (Dan) and Joy (Abby), a red and green dinosaur, and happy clowns, they have had a variety of ensembles.
Please enjoy my picture collage below! Happy Halloween to all of my blog readers and social media followers! 🎃👻🎉
Screenshot courtesy of Dan + Shay's Instagram account on 10/31/2020
Screenshot courtesy of Dan + Shay's Instagram account on 10/31/2020
Screenshot courtesy of Abby Smyers' Instagram Account on 11/01/2017
Screenshot courtesy of Abby Smyers' Instagram account from 10/31/2020
Screenshot courtesy of Abby Smyers' Instagram account from 11/01/2021
Screenshot courtesy of Abby Smyers' Instagram account from 11/01/2021
Yesterday (October 29, 2025), Dan + Shay took to their Instagram story, and this morning in a Facebook post to show their gratitude for the success their cover of Taylor Swift's song "Back To December" is garnering so far. The duo has always been vocal on social media when it comes to thanking their fanbase and this was no different.
"Morning!," the duo started the post. "Just wanted to pop on here and say thanks to everyone who has been liking, sharing, and commenting on our Back To December posts. Y'all are the reason people are hearing the song and we just wanted you to know how much we appreciate the support."
They finished the post by getting fans pumped up for the very near future.
"So many exciting things coming, but for now, thank you," they wrote. "We're grateful to have you on this journey with us. <3"
If you read my posts from May 15 and May 16, 2025, I wrote about my first two (and only so far!) interactions with Dan + Shay in person. On October 14, 2014 when I had my first meet and greet with the guys after the concert, Smyers recognized me from Twitter (now X), knew my name, and thanked me for my support of them and their music on social media. I had only been a Dan + Shay fan for about six months at that point. I could tell that they paid attention to and appreciated their fans, which made my heart so happy. Fast forward to October 18, 2015 when I had a VIP meet and greet with the duo prior to the show. During that interaction, Smyers knew who I was again. He thanked me for requesting their track "Nothin' Like You" so much, helping it climb up the country radio chart. Less than two months later on December 7, 2015, the duo had their very first number one record at country radio!
The fact that both guys continue to be grateful and appreciative for everything happening in their careers means a lot to me as a supporter.
Stay tuned for more content surrounding Dan + Shay's "Back To December" cover and updates on new music, their upcoming tours, and more as they release them!
Screenshot of Dan + Shay's Facebook post from 10/30/2025
Dan + Shay have done some pretty cool things in their career so far, including two performances on Dancing With The Stars, singing their hit records on multiple award show stages, and selling out Madison Square Garden on their first two arena tours. In 2020, the duo added performing on The Not-Too-Late-Show with Elmo to that list.
I grew up watching Barney & Friends and Sesame Street, so it made my childhood heart happy when they posted the video clip of their performance on Instagram back on June 26, 2025.
Dan Smyers and Shay Mooney (who was a dad of two at the time) performed their rendition of the Sesame Street original song "I Don't Want to Live on the Moon" in front of Elmo and his studio audience, which aired on June 25, 2020. Featuring Smyers seated on a crescent moon playing the guitar, Mooney next to him seated on a stool, and Elmo's band, the duo told the story about what it would be like to spend some time on the moon, under the sea, in the jungle, and in pre-historic times with dinosaurs. While it would be cool to spend a short period of time going on these fun adventures, the songwriter says that they would not want to live full time in any of these places. They would want to go back home to be with their loved ones.
During the performance, Mooney used his voice, facial expressions, and hands to tell the story to the studio audience and the people watching at home. His vocals were soft and pure to match the tone of the children's song. When Smyers joined in with his harmonies, it made the duos rendition of of the song soar to new heights. Hearing both guys sing the "oooh" line together toward the end sounded incredibly smooth. It left me wanting to hear even more of that on their future songs!
Below is Dan + Shay's rendition of "I Don't Want To Live On The Moon" on The Not-Too-Late-Show with Elmo courtesy of Sesame Street's YouTube Channel! Enjoy!
Below are the Dan + Shay trivia questions that I posted on my social media accounts yesterday! Today's questions test your knowledge on the duos music, their participation in the Grammy Awards, and the name of their last tour!
If you were not able to participate in my Instagram and/or Facebook polls today, I have you covered here! If you did participate, you can most certainly participate again! I highly encourage as many of my readers and social media followers to have some fun and take a couple of minutes write in the comment section of this post below what you think the answers are! To give everyone plenty of time, I will make sure to update this post in one week with the correct answers! I will be excited to see what everyone's responses are! Have fun and happy guessing! 😀🎵🎉
Question 1: The first single from Dan + Shay's third album was?
Possible Answer #1: "Speechless"
Possible Answer #2: "All To Myself"
Possible Answer #3: "Tequila"
Question 2: How many Grammy Awards have Dan + Shay won? 🎶🏆
Possible Answer #1: One 🏆
Possible Answer #2: Three 🏆
Possible Answer #3: Five 🏆
Question 3: What was Dan + Shay's last tour called?🤔🎶
Possible Answer #1: "The Save Me The Trouble Tour"
Possible Answer #2: "The Breakin' Up With A Broken Heart Tour"
Possible Answer #3: "The Heartbreak On The Map Tour"
Dan + Shay have performed on some iconic talk shows over the years, one of them being The Ellen DeGeneres Show. I used to watch her show daily to see which actors and actresses she would interview and which musical acts would perform, among other segments that were featured. She highlighted artists from the past and present, and even artists who were brand new. I love that she featured brand new artists and gave them the attention that they deserved.
Dan Smyers and Shay Mooney made their debut on the television show that ran for 19 seasons. The episode aired on June 17, 2016. The guys sang the first single from their upcoming Obsessed album at the time.
"Our next guests are one of the hottest duos in country music," Ellen DeGeneres began the introduction. "Here to perform their hit "From The Ground Up", please welcome Dan + Shay."
With the duos iconic plus sign lit up in the background and their road band playing the cello, bass guitar, acoustic guitar, and drums, the guys gave a passionate performance of "From The Ground Up", where they picture what life would be like when they got married and started a family. Both members of the duo had smiles on their faces throughout the performance segment. Mooney, dressed in a black t-shirt, brown jacket, and jeans, showed both the studio and TV audience his impressive vocal range, especially toward the bridge of the song when he hit the highest notes in the song, while Smyers, dressed in a short sleeved jean jacket and jeans, complemented his partner's powerful vocals with his beautiful harmonies along with playing his acoustic guitar. When they were finished singing, DeGeneres gave both of the guys a hug and then promoted their upcoming album. She said that all members of the audience would go home with a copy.
The guys debuted on DeGeneres' show over nine years ago. While they sounded incredible to me back then, their vocals have gotten even better as time went on. To this day, Smyers continues to raise the bar on his harmonies and Mooney continues to raise the bar on his lead vocals, surprising me by hitting and holding the last note even longer than he did the previous time, specifically on their live performances of "Tequila" in the last few years. I talked about one of those performances at this year's Academy Of Country Music Awards in my post from May 22, 2025.
Stay tuned for a future post when I give my thoughts on the lyrics, vocals, and production of "From The Ground Up". At this point in their career, Smyers or Mooney were not married.
You can also check out my post from June 2, 2025 when I wrote about the duos performance of "Tequila" on her daytime show.
Below is Dan + Shay's performance of "From The Ground Up" on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, courtesy of The Ellen Show's YouTube channel!
A few years before I found Dan + Shay's music and started listening to them the majority of the time, I was into quite a few artists in the country genre, including David Nail. He released an upbeat love song called "Whatever She's Got" and a couple of ballads, "Red Light" and "Let It Rain" that were hits on the radio.
Dan Smyers and Shay Mooney have done short covers from a diverse group of country music artists over the years. They posted their acoustic rendition of the chorus from Nail's passionate ballad "Let It Rain" on June 23, 2016.
According to Smyers in the YouTube video, the pair were on their bus writing new music while on tour and took a break to take on the song's epic chorus. He also said that it happened to be raining that day in Wisconsin, which matched the sentiment of the song.
After he said that, Mooney broke into the song's refrain with his powerful vocals and Smyers with his smooth harmonies, singing in unison, "So let it rain, let it pour, if she don't love me anymore." The two continued to tell the story with their voices and performed, "Just let it come down on me (let it come down on me), let it come down on me (let it come down on me)." Both guys went into the last section, telling the story with the lines, "Every word, let it hurt, even more than I deserve." That is followed by the repeated lyrics from above to end their performance.
One of my favorite things about David Nail is his ability to tell a passionate story through his voice, the song's lyrics, and the production on his songs. Dan + Shay also possess these qualities and they are just a few of the reasons why I became very attached to them the first time I heard their debut album Where It All Began on Spotify back in March of 2014.
In the comment section of this post, please let me know which of these Dan + Shay covers you want me to write about next week! Your choices are "Yours If You Want It" by Rascal Flatts, "Record Year" by Eric Church, "Sleep Without You" by Brett Young, or "Burning House" by Cam. I will also conduct a poll on my Facebook and Instagram page and tally up the results from those accounts and on here. The winner will be revealed in my post next Sunday! 😊🎵
Below is Dan + Shay's cover of "Let It Rain", courtesy of their YouTube channel! Enjoy!
Here is my sixth Saturday Spotlight that I did via e-mail with my sweet, passionate (online) friend and genuine, appreciative, concert-going Dan + Shay fan, Katie McKinney from Detroit, Michigan. Over the years I have followed many of the duo's biggest fans on social media and Katie is one of them! She is very kind and sweet! We have both interacted with one another's social media posts and I have chatted with her intermittently through messaging. I have seen Katie from afar at some of the concerts I have been too, but we have not officially met in person yet. I hope this will happen at a future Dan + Shay show!
In this sixth session, you will learn about Katie's favorite Dan + Shay albums and songs, a cool interaction she had with the duo on Twitter (now X), what she would ask the duo if she got the opportunity to have dinner with them, what she thinks about their unconventional music videos, and so much more!
She also included 16 awesome pictures with the duo from over the years, the most recent from last year. I highly recommend that you read all about Katie's experiences as a fan in the questions and answers below! I also highly recommend that you browse all of the pictures of her one-of-a-kind experiences with Dan + Shay!
Please enjoy reading my fourth Dan + Shay Fan Spotlight with Katie McKinney!
Stacy (S): When did you become a fan of Dan + Shay? Was it in the beginning or later on in their careers? What was the first song of theirs that you heard on the radio? What was your first impression of hearing them on the radio and then getting to know them through social media?
Katie McKinney (KM): I first became a fan of Dan + Shay in early 2014. They were playing a concert called the Ten Man Jam in Detroit and I hadn't heard of them yet. Upon seeing the line-up, I looked them up and found "19 You + Me". It was the only recorded song of theirs available at the time. I liked it very much but didn't know much about them. Then came the concert. I was actually in the back of the venue in line to meet another artist when they first came on. They sang what I later learned was their song "Show You Off" and I couldn't believe what I heard. They sounded so amazing and truly captured my attention. I got done with the meet and greet and rushed back to the stage. I was in awe of their harmonies and Shay's voice. They did a meet and greet afterwards and that was the first time I met them. I remember telling them how excited I was for their debut album which they had announced was coming out on April 1st that year. The rest is history.
(S): How many times have you seen the duo in concert? What is your favorite venue that you have seen them play at? Tell me about a few of the concerts that stand out to you.
(KM): To be honest, I am not sure the exact number of times I have seen them in concert. Just a guess would be around 40-50 shows. I love seeing them in Michigan because they love playing here and it is obvious when you see them perform how much they enjoy it. One of my favorite shows was the third time I saw them. It was a free show at Central Michigan University. The energy in the crowd was absolutely insane. Everyone there was so impressed with D+S, including myself. This was the show that was like the nail in the coffin for me, I knew I would be a lifelong fan after that. Another really special show was at a local park. It was in 2015 and actually ended up getting rained out. But a bunch of fans were waiting outside their bus and they actually sang a song from the bus for us. It was awesome. I think it was "Can't Say No" if I remember correctly. Then after the storm died down, they stayed and met everyone who had a meet and greet that night. It was an incredible experience, especially considering the weather and circumstances. Since then, I have seen them in Michigan (of course) Canada, Illinois, New Jersey, Nashville, Ohio, and Pennsylvania.
(S): How many times have you had the opportunity to meet Dan + Shay? What was the first meet + greet like? Did anything they say stick out to you that you still remember today? Tell me about a few of your other meet + greets with the guys that were special.
(KM): I am also unsure about the number of meet and greet opportunities I have had probably 20-30 opportunities I think. The first meet and greet was short and sweet at the Ten Man Jam. Then, I met them during a VIP pre-show when they opened for Hunter Hayes in Toledo, Ohio, and again after the show. They stayed after the show and met everyone in that arena who was interested. I could tell from that moment that they were gaining popularity already; such a cool experience. After that, I was fortunate to meet them at most shows I went to - either through VIP experiences, waiting around after shows, waiting by the buses, etc. One time in particular (in 2015) - my sister won the first ever "Bus Hang" that they did for a little while. That was the first time we really realized that D+S remembered us and it was really special to us. I have brought friends to meet them and also my mom. Everyone who meets them is always so impressed with what nice and kind people they are. (S): Dan + Shay have a few unconventional music videos that don't follow the actual storyline of the song like "Tequila", "How Not To", and "Steal My Love". They used a completely different storyline from what the song is actually about. Please describe what you think about each of these videos and if you like the guys going outside the normal when it comes to music video concepts.
(KM): I think that having unconventional story lines is perfect for music videos. It is a great way to capture a new audience and also adds new depth and a new perspective to the lyrics. I really like how the "Tequila" music video feels like a mini movie. It's kind of epic in that way. One of my favorite music videos is "I Should Probably Go To Bed". I think it's so cool and fun. Breaking boundaries is something D+S have always been good at and I think their music videos are a reflection of that.
(S): What is the name of your local country radio station(s) that you listen to? Do they play Dan + Shay's songs often? Which songs do they play the most?
(KM): My local station is 99.5 WYCD. I don't listen to the radio as much now because I mainly use streaming services, but they did used to plan D+S very often. Nowadays, I am sure they still do, but I don't listen as much. They have always been great Dan + Shay supporters.
(S): If you had to pick your top two favorite Dan + Shay albums and top five overall songs (including from their Christmas album), what would they be? Tell me why those songs and the two albums overall connect with you.
(KM): My top two albums would be Where It All Began and Good Things. I love all of the albums, but if I had to narrow it down, I'll pick these two. Where It All Began is very special to me since it is "where it all began" (no pun intended lol). That was their only album out when I first started seeing them in shows, so it really is like a soundtrack to that period of time for me. It brought me so much joy and countless hours of some of the best times of my life. Seeing them sing those early songs live are memories I will truly never forget. Good Things is special to me because it was a comeback album for them after taking a bit of a break. I love the songs on that album and it has great vibes. I went to the album release concert in Nashville for Good Things and it was an incredible experience - I think that's one reason why it's so special to me. For my songs, I have to pick some early songs - "Show You Off" and "Stop Drop + Roll", then "Already Ready" from Obsessed, "Make or Break" from Dan + Shay, and "Irresponsible" from Good Things. All of these songs bring me back to the timeframe they were released and make me think of different Dan + Shay memories. I hold them all dear to my heart. (S): Dan + Shay have been very active on social media over the years. Are there any special interactions/memories that you have had with them on social media that you would like to share?
(KM): I am grateful for every social media interaction I am lucky enough to experience. One of my favorites was on Twitter. In 2015, my friends made my sister and I a Dan + Shay cake for our birthday and I tweeted about it. D+S retweeted and told me "happy birthday" and it made me feel like I had the best birthday ever. That was one of the first social media interactions I had. There have been countless experiences since then, but that one stands out as really special. I have gotten videos from both Dan and Shay with messages for Merry Christmas, Happy Valentine's Day, etc. I never take them for granted and am so grateful each time. I will also give an honorable mention to when they followed me on Twitter. At the time, I felt SO cool, lol. (S): If you had the opportunity to have dinner with Dan + Shay and spend quality time with them afterward, what questions would you ask them? What else would you talk about in a conversation with them?
(KM): Hmm, that's a good question. I don't think I would ask a ton of questions. I think I would just like to chat and reminisce about everything that has happened in their career over the years. Maybe I would ask how they felt about certain things that came up during our conversation. I would definitely ask about the inside scoop on upcoming music, though! (S): Is there anything else you would like to add that I did not mention above?
(KM): I will just add that I have really appreciated all of the joy and fun experiences I have had in my life because of D+S. I have traveled to many cool places because of them and met some very amazing people. It's incredible that two people doing what they love can be so impactful on so many fans. I am looking forward to many more years of supporting them.
Ten Man Jam, Detroit, MI, February 26, 2025
Halloween Costumes, Grand Rapids, MI, October 18, 2015
Dan coming to visit pre-show, Grand Rapids, MI, October 18, 2015
Central Michigan University Meet And Greet, Mount Pleasant, MI, August 24, 2014
Dan + Shay Birthday Cake, November, 2015
Central Michigan University Meet And Greet, Mount Pleasant, MI, August 24, 2014
National Cherry Festival Meet And Greet, Traverse City, MI, July 3, 2018
Dan pre-show, me with friends, Springfield, IL, April 9, 2016
Springfield with Friends - Blue Steel look, April 9, 2016, Photographer - Rob Norris
Selfie with Dan - Philadelphia, PA, 04/11/2024
Meet And Greet, Mount Pleasant, MI, March 31, 2019
Group picture, National Cherry Festival, Traverse City, MI, July 3, 2018
Rained out Meet And Greet, Elizabeth Park, Trenton, MI, July 26, 2015
Selfie with Shay, Philadelphia, PA, April 11, 2024
"Good Things" Listening Party, Nashville, TN, August 13, 2021
For today's "Flashback Friday" post, I am going back to October, 2024 when country music duo Dan + Shay released It's Officially Christmas: The Double Album. From that day until January 1, 2025, the guys went crazy posting holiday-themed content on their social media channels and YouTube channel. This included pictures of the two artists decked out in Christmas apparel, short performance videos of the classic and original songs from the album, short reels filled with holiday fun, and everything else in between. You can find several of the pictures and video clips in my previous posts!
On October 30, 2024, they shared a video on their YouTube channel Shorts page that was entertaining and one that I could relate to. Set to their version "The Christmas Song", Dan Smyers is seen wearing an off-white turtleneck sweater and Shay Mooney is dressed in a black sweater, both of them sipping a hot beverage out of a Dan + Shay "Christmas Isn't Christmas" mug. Behind the duo is the iPhone weather application for Nashville, Tennessee showing a contrasting warm summer temperature from what they are dressed in.
"When it's 85 degrees and you're ready for cozy season 🍂☕️🪵," Dan + Shay captioned the video, followed by the hashtags, #danandshay #christmas #cozy.
I am always cold, so you can find me wearing warm clothes pretty much all year long, whether it is a long-sleeve shirt, fleece, sweatshirt, or a sweater. However, I usually do not break out the sweaters until the temperatures are in the 50's consistently and that is where they are sitting currently!
Stay tuned for more Dan + Shay Christmas content from last year and what is to come this year when they released another holiday song in the next couple of months!
Below is the short clip of the duo ready for cozy season for you to enjoy courtesy of their YouTube channel!
Video courtesy of Dan + Shay's YouTube Channel On 10/30/2025
It is "Throwback Thursday" on my social media (Facebook and Instagram) pages! Since today's feature is about a video, it made sense for me to do a combination post!
As of Tuesday evening October 21, Dan + Shay have performed at the famed Grand Ole Opry in Nashville a few times so far in their careers. In the past, they have also performed at the historic Ryman Auditorium. The duo played to a sold-out crowd there for the first time on February 22, 2017. Prior to taking the stage, Dan Smyers and Shay Mooney got ready for their debut at the Ryman in their dressing room. They recorded themselves singing their nostalgic song "First Time Feeling" acoustically, whose title was appropriate for their big moment later that evening. They posted the video on March 5, 2017.
The duo started the video by the lead vocalist (Mooney) introducing where they were followed by the producer (Smyers) talking about the track.
"This is the Grand Ole Opry, the home of the Grand Ole Opry, the 'Mother Church'," Mooney said before he and his partner started the performance.
"We moved to Nashville to write country songs and this is one of our favorite country songs that we've ever written, in light of it being our first time at the Ryman," Smyers remarked.
As I have mentioned in several previous posts, the duo's acoustic performances are one of my favorite things because each one is incredibly raw and real. I thoroughly enjoy listening to Mooney's pure vocals, Smyers' complementing harmonies, and his exceptional guitar and piano-playing, with him on guitar for this clip. From start to finish, the guys told the tune's story with passion in their voices, accompanied by the stringed instrument. In the past, I have closed my eyes while listening to the track and could picture myself there taking in all of the scenes that occur.
The song tells the story of an 18-year-old female and 21-year-old male who are in a romantic relationship for the first time. Despite the girl character's dad not approving of her boyfriend and "right never felt so wrong" for the couple as the duo sing in the chorus, the two lovers experience many magical times together until she moves away to Texas without notice. During the remainder of the tune, the guy misses his partner, wishing she would come back. He starts to reminisce on all of the good times they had together.
Stay tuned for a future post with further breakdown of the entire song's lyrics, Smyers and Mooney's vocals, and the production!
Below is Dan + Shay's acoustic performance video of "First Time Feeling" at the Ryman Auditorium that was posted on March 5, 2017, courtesy of the duo's YouTube channel! I hope you enjoy listening to and watching this clip as much as I have many times over the years!
Below are the Dan + Shay trivia questions that I posted on my social media accounts yesterday! Today's questions include fill in the correct missing words to some of the lyrics of Dan + Shay's song "Parking Brake", a fill-in-the-correct-word to a song title from their Obsessed album, and I test your knowledge about a mystery artist the duo performed with at the 2015 ACM Awards!
If you were not able to participate in my Instagram and/or Facebook polls yesterday, I have you covered here! If you did participate, you can most certainly participate again! I highly encourage as many of my readers and social media followers to have some fun and write in the comment section of this post below what you think the answers are! To give everyone plenty of time, I will make sure to update this post in one week with the correct answers! I will be excited to see what everyone's responses are! Have fun and happy guessing! 😀🎵🎉
Question 1: Fill in the blank of Dan + Shay's song title "Already _______" 🤔🎶
Possible Answer #1: "Already Late"
Possible Answer #2: "Already Gone
Possible Answer #3: "Already Ready"
Question 2: Who did Dan + Shay sing with at the 2015 ACM Awards? 🎶🎤
Possible Answer #1: Ed Sheeran 🎶🎤
Possible Answer #2: Nick Jonas 🎶🎤
Possible Answer #3: Shawn Mendes 🎶🎤😃
Question 3: Fill in the missing correct words to these lyrics below from Dan + Shay's song "Parking Brake" from the possible answers given!
🎶"Dash light _______ on your sun tan skin Rdio playing that ____ again Just pull me in, mmm pull me in Cut off shorts and a _______ seat _______ on over here next me Let me pull you in, mmmm, let me pull you in girl."🎶
Possible Answer #1: splashing, tune, velvet, glide
Possible Answer #2: dripping, song, vinyl, slide
Possible Answer #3: dribbling, track, leather, slip
If you read my post on September 25, you may remember that I wrote about the news that Dan + Shay were set to perform on the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville, TN as part of their Opry 100 celebration. The Opry Country Heat Takeover show takes place tonight at 8:00 p.m. EDT, 7:00 pm. CDT. It will feature some of the brightest starts in country music in addition to my favorite country music duo. You can catch performances from Lauren Alaina, Lainey Wilson, Russell Dickerson, and others!
You can attend the show in person if you are in Nashville. Or you can watch the livestream on your smartphone, tablet, or television. I will list and link your options below!
I am excited to watch the entire show, especially to see what songs Dan + Shay will be performing! Stay tuned for a full recap of their performances later this week!
Dan + Shay released their piano-infused cover of Taylor Swift's 2010 country ballad "Back To December" on Friday October 17. It is truly everything I hoped for and more. While this was the fastest they have gotten a song out into the world since meeting on December 7, 2012, according to their Instagram caption from October 16 (they got it out into the world in one week), it does not feel like that was the case. I can tell that the Grammy-award winners put a lot of hard work into the track, from rehearsing and recording it in the studio to the producing process to make it sound perfect, and then releasing it to the fans. I have had their rendition on repeat for the majority of the weekend and that will continue into this week and beyond.
Dan Smyers' and Shay Mooney's version of the song is subtle with solely their voices and (Smyers) playing the piano, yet at the same time, it is emotionally charged, flipping the song's story around, putting themselves in Swift's shoes. It feels like they are the ones who messed up and their ex-girlfriends cannot get over what they did to them.
In the pop superstar's version of the song, she sings, "You gave me roses and I left them there to die." While in Dan + Shay's cover, they flip around the pronouns to show the male's perspective, and they sing, "I gave you roses and you left them there to die."
I love getting to hear the pure, raw feeling that both guys deliver with their vocals. And watching Smyers play the piano in the YouTube video and listening to it on Spotify, I think he would sound amazing on the piano and organ at a church. In my opinion, the way he plays the keys is exquisite. Personally, I also think they could pull off an a-cappella version of this song (just their voices) and it would sound amazing.
Please keep playing the two YouTube videos of the duo's cover and purchase/stream it wherever you get your music! Dan + Shay are already getting a lot of traction with their beautiful rendition of Swift's song and I want to see that continue!
Dan + Shay are not just country music artists, they are also fans of country music, playing short cover songs by artists from Kenny Chesney to Old Dominion and Luke Bryan, and many other stars in between.
The duo made a great decision when they decided to cover the first verse and the chorus of country star Sam Hunt's smash hit "Body Like a Back Road" on February 14, 2017, as the YouTube video currently has racked up 247, 557 views.
In this clip, Dan Smyers played his acoustic guitar and sang harmonies while Shay Mooney was on the piano and sang the lead vocals. This performance felt like a jam session with the guys just letting loose and having fun, which I really enjoyed!
At the time, I think Hunt was trying his hand at making rap music, but also wanting to make the track sound country. The rapping comes across mostly in the song's verses. The duo made it sound like their own with Mooney showing off his vocal range and not making the verse sound like he was rapping while Smyers showed off his smooth harmonies.
This upbeat, sensual, romantic track is very catchy. I hope that one day, Dan + Shay release a full studio version of Hunt's number one hit. I think it would be cool to hear their take on entire song!
Below is the clip courtesy of Dan + Shay's YouTube channel! Enjoy!
Hello to all of my readers! I hope you continue to enjoy reading my daily posts! I want to give everyone an update on what I have been writing about (in case you missed some posts) and what you can look forward to reading about in the coming months!
I started this blog back in May and did a couple of trips down memory lane with Dan + Shay in 2014 and 2015, my first two years of being a fan as well as a fan spotlight at the end of each month. I also did some some commentaries on a handful of their songs and music videos. In addition to these, I have written about some of the short covers (taking another artist's song and making it their own) Dan Smyers and Shay Mooney have posted on social media over the years. I have also blogged about several of their performances on talk shows and reality television shows. While I love each of the duo's albums for many reasons, their double Christmas album that was released one year ago today has been on repeat at my house lately, so I have included a lot of their festive holiday content on my blog in the last few months. Listening to it brings so much joy into my life. I have also covered some other topics, including a video that documented the first stop on their initial radio tour when the guys introduced themselves to the staff at country radio stations on the East coast.
In the last week, I have been covering Smyers and Mooney as they took their fans along during the recording and release process of their rendition of Taylor Swift's 2010 country ballad "Back To December". While I love reminiscing on songs, music videos, and events from the past regarding the duo, it has been very exciting for me to also update my readers on the new things that are happening and will be occurring in the next year!
In the coming months, you can expect to see a lot more of my song and music video commentaries, the next videos in sequence from Dan + Shay's initial radio tour to get a behind-the-scenes look of what it was like for them traveling the country and playing their music for radio station staff for the first time, and more Christmas content as the holidays get closer. You can also look forward to posts about the duo's time as coaches on the NBC reality singing competition The Voice in the Spring of 2024, a continuation of my trips down memory lane with the guys, more review of their acoustic videos as well as covers of other artists songs they have done over the years, and so much more!
In addition to all of these topics from the past, you will see plenty of new content surrounding what the duo has planned for the rest of 2025. As we head into the rest of this year and into 2026, when Smyers and Mooney make their new single, album, and tour announcements, please rest assured that I will pass this information along to you as it becomes available!
If you have any suggestions for additional blog post topics, please drop them in the comments! I will take your feedback to heart! I want to know what other things you would enjoy reading about! 🙂
Thank you again to all of my readers for all of your support on my blog! I certainly appreciate your support more than you will ever know! 💜
Yesterday evening, Dan + Shay posted on their social media pages that their rendition of Taylor Swift's "Back To December" would be available everywhere to listen to in just a handful of hours!
When Dan Smyers and Shay Mooney told fans that they were heading into the studio to record their version of the song last Friday and then posting updates on their progress over the last week, I had a really good feeling that the track would be ready sooner rather than later. In fact, when the middle of this week hit, I messaged my Dan + Shay friend Tarin and told her that based on the updates they were providing us and how hard they were working on the song behind the scenes, I would not be surprised if they released it at the end of this week. My prediction was correct!
In their post from October 16, the duo wrote about how the cover came to be, the process of recording it, and getting it out to their fans in such a short amount of time.
"What started as an impromptu soundcheck cover of one of our favorite @taylorswift songs turned into the quickest recording-to-release turnaround in our almost 13 year career," the duo wrote.
They went on to give gratitude to their fans who requested they make the cover and everyone who helped them get the song out into the universe in exactly one week. Then they talked about their thoughts on the final version of "Back To December".
"Huge thanks to our fans who encouraged us to get in the studio and make a full version, and to everyone on our team who worked like crazy to make it happen," Dan + Shay said. "We're proud of the way it turned out, and hope you love it as much as we do."
The duo's producer (Smyers) commented on the post from his personal account about the promotional process that is usually done prior to the release of a new song.
Smyers started by saying, We didn't have time to make a proper rollout plan for this song, so we're gonna need your help spreading the word once it's out!"
He went on to give their fans ways to share news about the song. "If you love it, share it to your story, or send it to someone who might love it too," Smyers said. "Love y'all. 💜"
In Dan + Shay's post from earlier today announcing that the song is available everywhere now, Shay Mooney, the lead vocalist of the duo, also posted a comment. He said that he was happy about all of the positive feedback the cover was already receiving, after watching one of his favorite National Football League teams lose last night.
"I needed all of the love on this song after that devastating Steelers loss 🤕, Mooney wrote. “Y’all are the best.”
You can purchase a copy of Dan + Shay's cover of "Back To December" on iTunes, Amazon Music, or wherever you download music! You can also stream their cover on Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube Music, Pandora, or wherever you stream music!
A third option is to watch the video below that was posted today on their YouTube channel! You can see see what it was like for the duo to record the song in one take in the studio last Friday October 10!
Stay tuned for a post on Monday with my breakdown of Dan + Shay's cover of this nostalgic Taylor Swift song!
