Why Dan + Shay Almost Broke Up Back in 2021
Country duo Dan + Shay have been wildly successful, with multiple hits under their belt. Surprisingly, they nearly quit the music industry in 2021.
In a YouTube video shared on June 10, Dan Smyers and Shay Mooney got candid about what made them want to stop making music. "I was in like the lowest low of my entire life. I came off the road and I was like, 'Man, I f----ing hate music. I'm ready to quit," admitted Smyers.
Mooney responded, "No, I could feel the separation and I think there was…little things between you and I that we never talked about. And it was affecting everything, not just our band, like our marriage, everything. I was just in a really dark place."
In the video, it's noted that after not speaking for four months, Smyers and Mooney met up in March of 2022 to discuss the duo's future.
"Whether we break up [Dan + Shay] and we hug it out and say, 'Man, this has been the best 10 years of my life' or we say 'This is a launching off point. This is a new beginning, this is a chance for a whole new outlook on life, I feel like this was kind of the first time after the arena tour, after COVID, that we were able to just step back and assess," said Mooney.
He added that he realized they'd never taken time to appreciate big accomplishments, like winning three Grammys for Best Country Duo/Group Performance.
Meanwhile, Smyers acknowledged that with the band's success growing rapidly, he had "no balance" between his personal life and his career. "I was ignoring my marriage, I was ignoring all my friends. I completely burned myself out."
Dan + Shay were able to work things out, sharing in the video that there's new music coming. "The process of this album completely changed our lives," said Mooney.
The duo thrived from the moment they joined forces in 2012, signing to Warner Music before releasing their debut. They've had five singles top the Country Airplay chart and have collaborated with major stars like Justin Bieber and Kelly Clarkson.
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