Dan + Shay, the country-pop duo, has risen to fame across the United States with popular singles such as “Tequila” and “Speechless.” They amass over 11 million monthly views on Spotify and their fifth new album release, Bigger Houses, has taken the spotlight. The duo completed their Heartbreak on the Map tour at TD Garden in Boston on Saturday, April 13, 2024. TD Garden was sold out as thousands of country music listeners came out to support the duo. I had the privilege to attend and sing along to their all-time classic hits as well as new songs from their album.
the openers
The night began with opener Hailey Whitters, singing her hit song “Everything She Ain’t” and recent single “I’m In Love.” Whitters is more country than Dan + Shay, as she embodies the full Southern country accent. Next, Ben Rector took the stage. Rector is a pop/rock artist, with some songs touching on the folk side. So the point is, he’s not a country singer. Rector and Whitters then came on stage together to perform their new single “Color Up My World.” Rector engaged the crowd by getting each side of the stadium to sing his single “Living My Best Life,” while fully admitting he’s not a country singer to the audience. So why was Rector, a non-country artist, smushed in between the country singers? I’m not so sure. Dan + Shay has leaned into pop before, collaborating with Justin Bieber, and strays away from common country topics of beers, trucks, and cowboys. So I think Rector would have been a good opening if he hadn’t been followed by Whitters, who is definitely a stark country singer. The music styles of the three artists are very different, so it was interesting to see them in the same place together.
the history of dan + shay & their accomplishments
Dan Smyers and Shay Mooney are signed to Warner Records Nashville and have been singing together for just over 10 years. The three-time Grammy-winning duo have been producing music since the early 2010s, with their first album Where it All Began released in 2014. Since then, they have released Christmas singles, gone on tours, and did a collab with Justin Bieber. Their song with Bieber, “10,000 Hours,” has accumulated more than one billion streams on Spotify, becoming the first song with a country artist to achieve such high viewership and leading to a No. 1 hit on country radio.
The duo revealed they almost called it quits in 2021 during a difficult period in their personal and professional lives. However, after taking a break from touring, they got back into making music. They are a three-time winner of the Favorite Country Duo or Group at the American Music Awards and were named the Top Country Duo/Group at the 2022 Billboard Music Awards.
They have also made multiple television appearances on vocal talent shows and are currently a coaching duo for The Voice alongside Reba McEntire, John Legend, and Chance the Rapper for the spring 2024 season.
the concert
The duo began touring earlier this year visiting 19 cities, covering South Carolina, Virginia, Texas, Tennessee, Georgia, and some states in between. They ended their tour in the Northeast, playing in Philadelphia, PA; Newark, NJ; and ending in Boston, MA.
Dan + Shay sang all their classic songs, including “Tequila” and “Speechless,” but also some of my personal favorites; “You” and “Always Gonna Be.” The artists were emotional on Saturday as they expressed gratitude to their fans, singing “Glad You Exist” for each fan in the arena. They added how it was the fans that kept them together through the hard times, alluding to the almost split between the pair.
The visuals were exciting throughout the night, but my personal favorite was the small house they sat on while singing their new song “Bigger Houses.” They even ran around the arena singing “Mr. Brightside” by the Killers. I thoroughly enjoyed the concert and it felt like it went by so fast. It would have been nice for them to play a few more songs like “Neon Cowgirl” or “Good Things,” but it was still a fun night.
I would absolutely recommend anyone to see Dan and Shay in concert. They are fun, personable, and really try to connect with the crowd. While they didn’t top the Thomas Rhett concert I saw at TD Garden last summer, it still ranks high on my country concert list.
If you want to see the country-pop duo in concert you’re in luck! They will also return to the road for their summer Heartbreak on the Map tour beginning in July 2024 in Ohio and ending in September in Colorado.