Dan + Shay have a Top 10 hit with “Bigger Houses,” out now. The song, the title track of their latest album, is the second single released from the project, following their No. 1 hit, “Save Me The Trouble.”
“That song has connected with so many people in more ways than we could have even imagined,” says Dan Smyers, who is one of the writers on the song. “And it’s honestly, it’s just a personal reminder to ourselves — we hear that song come on the radio or we go out there and play for our fans and it’s like, that thing that we were chasing that we got so caught up in, it doesn’t matter.
“Life is so good,” he adds. “We get to hang out with our best friend, make some music, have great families. It’s a dream come true.”
The fact that Dan + Shay even have more music out is a testament to their tenacity, and their enduring friendship. Smyers and Shay Mooney went through a tumultuous time in 2022, resulting in the two men not speaking to each other for four months, while they figured out what they wanted their future to look like in country music. The result was that Dan + Shay emerged stronger than ever, and excited to make more music, together.
“We’re in such a good place,” Mooney revealed earlier this year. “I would say that Dan and I now are genuinely in the best place that we have ever been in, which is an incredible thing to be able to say, and mean it with my whole heart. The journey that it took to get to this place, to where we have this new perspective on life and on our career in general, of being able to wake up and know that we get to do this, we don’t have to do this.
“And to feel good about moving forward and to be having just such a blast,” he continued. “Being able to get to do all this stuff, it’s special. Being able to also push a single, like ‘Bigger Houses,’ that is exactly where we’re at right now in our lives is just really special for us.”
Dan + Shay are also helping their fans get in the holiday spirit this year. The duo dropped It’s Officially Christmas: The Double Album, a surprise for their fans, with 21 songs, both classics and original.
“Officially Christmas,” included on the record, was first released in 2021, and inspired by their joint love of everything about the holiday season.
“People often debate when is it okay to start celebrating Christmas,” Smyers said at the time. “When is it okay to decorate for Christmas? … Some say the day after Halloween, some say you gotta wait till Thanksgiving. But the way we see it, it’s officially Christmas whenever you feel it in your heart. We wrote this song about that. We wanted people to have an anthem, when they felt the Christmas spirit they could probably celebrate it and say it’s officially Christmas.”
See a track list for It’s Officially Christmas: The Double Album below. Find all of Dan + Shay’s music and upcoming shows at DanAndShay.com.
It’s Officially Christmas: The Double Album Track List:
1. It’s The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year
2. Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree
3. Santa Claus Is Comin’ To Town
4. Let It Snow
5. The Christmas Song
6. Winter Wonderland
7. Jingle Bell Rock
8. Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas
9. Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)
10. Silent Night
11. Officially Christmas
12. Take Me Home For Christmas
13. Save The Snowman
14. Holiday Party
15. The Cozy Song
16. Pick Out A Christmas Tree
17. Parson Brown
18. Christmas Isn’t Christmas
19. Blame It On Santa
20. Break Up On Christmas
21. Happy New Year