Country music is known for its powerhouse duos, and Dan + Shay is a twosome that has seen great success in modern country music. Beginning with their debut single in 2013, the collaborators have paved their own unique path in the genre thanks to their often pop-inspired sound sound, strong vocals and tight harmonies. Singles like "Tequila" and "Speechless" helped propel them to international prominence and earned them a dedicated fanbase.
Dan Smyers met Shay Mooney in December of 2012 during a party at Smyers' house. Their songwriting relationship began the following day.
Debut Dan + Shay single "19 You + Me" was released on Oct. 14, 2013. Appropriately-titled debut album Where It All Began followed on April 1, 2014. Among its singles was the duo's first No. 1 hit, "Nothin' Like You."
Dan + Shay's biggest break came in January of 2018. That month, the group toured with obvious inspiration and released what remains its signature single, "Tequila." Later that year, "Speechless" continued Dan + Shay's sales and radio dominance.
In 2019, the group leaned into its pop influences further, touring with Shawn Mendes and recording global hit "10,000 Hours" with Justin Bieber.
During this phase of Dan + Shay's career, they won three straight Best Country Duo/ Group Performance Grammy awards: for "Tequila" (2019), "Speechless" (2019) and "10,000 Hours" with Bieber (2020).
After almost breaking up, the duo chased a rootsier, more traditionally country sound on the 2023 album Bigger Houses.
"Some of our records have been more pop- or hip-hop/R&B-infused. But on this record, I wanted to make tracks that we could hop up at any bar anywhere with our live band and play the songs as they were recorded, Smyers shared in a press release. "Ultimately, this music, this whole album, is something that I'll be able to look back on in a decade or two and be really proud of the way it turned out."
On Feb. 26, 2024, Dan + Shay will debut as the first-ever coach tandem on "The Voice." Even with the acclaim they received for their three Grammy-winning hits, this might be the group's biggest platform to date.
Read on for Wide Open Country's picks for the 20 best Dan + Shay songs.
Jeff Kravitz/AMA2019/FilmMagic for dcp Despite being a teaming of generational vocal talents, this one seems like a deep cut missing from comparable lists. Here, the guys keep pace with Underwood as she belts out an old-fashioned love song of Broadway (or big screen) proportions. Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images for dcp In the beginning, Dan + Shay spit rapid-fire rhymes with as much energy and conviction as bro-country's best on this modernized take on the time-tested Rascal Flatts formula. Noam Galai/WireImage, An interesting amalgam of steel guitar and electric banjo and pop beats, "Lately" may lack the popularity of some of our top picks, but it's arguably the best sonic realization of Dan + Shay's vision for a smooth blend of R&B, pop and country. Jason Kempin/Getty Images Fans and detractors alike might've questioned the same thing by 2023: why won't Dan + Shay sidestep Nashville expectations altogether and record a straight-up pop song? They did just that by guesting on Charlie Puth's "That's Not How This Works." Naturally, their vocal harmonies are no less delicious here than they are on modern country love ballads. John Shearer/Getty Images for iHeartMedia One of the more romantic tunes in a catalog chock-full of romantic songs, "All to Myself" is part mood-setting R&B, part finger snap-along pop country. Scott Legato/Getty Images Here's another top-shelf example of how Dan + Shay blend smooth R&B vocals and pop sensibilities with the pop-country vibes of Rascal Flatts. A Luke Combs-caliber dad song, "For Both of Us" tells of a parents instant reaction to seeing their newborn daughter for the first time. It's surely inspired by the family Mooney's been building with his wife, Hannah— though so far, they have three sons. A nostalgic look at simpler times spent with hometown sweethearts, "Always Gonna Be" could've been a hit at any point over the past 30 years for Kenny Chesney or Tim McGraw— especially if either had kept in that fiery fiddle solo. Bryan Steffy/Getty Images for The Shaquille O'Neal Foundation Pop production has given way lately for Dan + Shay to a less-is-more approach to country music. As a result, the duo's deliciously smooth vocals and equally sugary lyrics stand out more than before, making this both more accessible to old souls and more crossover friendly in a marketplace that values singer-songwriters. Terry Wyatt/Getty Images This soaring ballad from Good Things is yet another example of Smyers and Mooney's masterful vocal skills —especially when it comes to Mike Love-esque harmonies— as well as vividly-told lyrical stories about love (or in this case, lost love). Rich Fury/ACMA2019/Getty Images for ACM The Grammy-winning country duo and singer-songwriters teamed up with the multitalented Kelly Clarkson for "Keeping Score," from their self-titled album, which also featured "All to Myself" and "Speechless." Michael Tran/FilmMagic One cannot speak about Dan + Shay's massive career without mentioning the song that started it all for them: their debut single, "19 You + Me." Accompanied by a banjo and other acoustic elements, the tune tells the story of a summer fling from years ago. While country fans were still getting to know the duo after the release of this song, "19 You + Me" set up a solid debut for them, landing at No. 11 on the charts. Debra L Rothenberg/WireImage The standout moment of Dan + Shay's pivot to a more traditionally country sound, "Save Me the Trouble" mirrors '90s country ballads more so than today's pop music. However, when the duo harmonizes here, they've never sounded more like R&B-influenced boy band vocalists — a testament to the duo's pop-country vocal excellence. Kevin Winter/Getty Images for Stagecoach It didn't take Dan + Shay long to find success in country music, and they had their first No. 1 song with their third single. With this one, the duo tells the sweet story of meeting a love interest who was simply "sipping coffee in a corner booth" when the song's narrator laid eyes on her. They then go on to sing about how they've never met anyone like the subject of the song. "Nothin' Like You" served to establish the duo as heavy hitters in country music. Scott Legato/Getty Images By 2016, it was clear Dan + Shay had a knack for writing and singing love ballads, and they took this gift to the next level with the release of "From The Ground Up." Here, the duo sings about a lasting love story with a strong foundation that has been built "from the ground up." With its sentimental piano instrumentation and the duo's effortless vocals, the song became a quintessential wedding song for the year as well as their second No. 1 hit. Barry Brecheisen/WireImage By the time Dan + Shay released their fifth single, "How Not To," they were at the top of the country music genre, but they were still on the precipice of something much bigger. This upbeat love song continued the duo's rise, and although it didn't have quite the impact of "From the Ground Up," it still reached No. 1 and earned Platinum status. Steve Granitz/WireImage Dan + Shay quickly followed up "Tequila" with "Speechless," the second single from their self-titled album, in August of 2018. In this, another passionate love ballad, the duo sing from the perspective of a man seeing his partner dressed up and ready to go out for the evening. The song could also be interpreted to be about a husband seeing his wife for the first time on their wedding day, and that's the way the duo portrayed it in the music video, which features footage from both members' weddings. "Speechless" became another massive hit for the group, landing at No. 1 for eight weeks and being certified 6x Platinum. Rich Fury/Getty Images for The Recording Academy In 2019, Dan + Shay kept their monumental hit streak going with another single: "10,000 Hours" with Bieber. The song marked Bieber's first real foray into country music, and it became an incredibly successful release for all the artists involved. In this pop-influenced love song, Dan + Shay and Bieber sing about loving a partner for the rest of their lives. The song reached the No. 1 spot on multiple charts and was certified quadruple Platinum. "10,000 Hours" was originally released as a standalone single in 2019, and it was included on the duo's fourth studio album, Good Things, which was released in 2021. Kevin Winter/Getty Images for iHeartMedia Dan + Shay reached No. 1 with their 2021 song "Glad You Exist." In this cheerful, acoustic-driven song, the duo sing to someone — whether it be a partner, their fans or a friend— expressing their gratefulness for that person's existence. This tune was released in February of 2021, and it became the duos' ninth career No. 1 just six months later in August of that year. Jason Kempin/Getty Images Famously, this single began what remains the most successful era in the duo's career. In the lyrics, the duo again looks back on a past relationship, singing about how all the memories of the affair are brought back with the taste of tequila. This song became a massive hit, reaching the No. 1 spot on Billboard's Country Airplay chart and staying there for multiple weeks. It has also been certified a whopping 7x Platinum by the RIAA. "Only Us" (Feat. Carrie Underwood) ("Dear Evan Hansen" Soundtrack, 2021)
"What You Do to Me" (Where It All Began, 2014)
"Lately" (Obsessed, 2016)
"That's Not How This Works" (With Charlie Puth) (Single, 2023)
"All to Myself" (Dan + Shay, 2018)
"Lipstick" (Obsessed, 2016)
"For the Both of Us" (Bigger Houses, 2023)
"Always Gonna Be" (Bigger Houses, 2023)
"Heartbreak on the Map" (Bigger Houses, 2023)
"I Should Probably Go to Bed" (Good Things, 2021)
"Keeping Score" (Feat. Kelly Clarkson) (Dan + Shay, 2018)
"19 You + Me" (Where It All Began, 2014)
"Save Me the Trouble" (Bigger Houses, 2023)
"Nothin' Like You" (Where It All Began, 2014)
"From the Ground Up" (Obsessed, 2016)
"How Not To" (Obsessed, 2016)
"Speechless" (Dan + Shay, 2018)
"10,000 Hours" (Feat. Justin Bieber) (Good Things, 2021)
"Glad You Exist" (Good Things, 2021)
"Tequila" (Dan + Shay, 2018)
Editor's Note: This story previously ran on June 7, 2022. It was updated in January 2024.
