Dan + Shay Release “Say So” and Autobiographical Album *Young*

Country-pop duo Dan + Shay have issued the lead single “Say So” from their forthcoming ten-track album *Young*. The song, described as a “hard pivot” from the pair’s usual wedding-song repertoire, centers on suicide prevention and was written in memory of their late mentor Ben Vaughn, former head of Warner Chappell Music Publishing, who died by suicide a year earlier. The album, slated for release later in 2026, blends crossover country sounds with more personal, reflective lyrics.

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Smyers and Mooney said the songwriting process began on what would have been Vaughn’s 50th birthday, a coincidence they interpreted as a sign of the song’s purpose. Co-writers David Hodges and Jimmy Robbins helped craft the demo, which the duo found “therapeutic” and felt they “owed” to their friend and to the broader community. Prior to *Young*, Dan + Shay had largely focused on upbeat love tracks; the new material emerged after they wrote and discarded an entire album’s worth of songs, seeking greater emotional honesty.

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*Young* is framed as an autobiographical collection that explores aging, vulnerability, and faith. Smyers describes the title track as a message from one’s future self urging appreciation of the present. Religious references appear in tracks such as “Her, The Kids and Jesus” and two mentions of the King James Bible. The album features a sole guest appearance by neo-traditionalist Cody Johnson on “The Old Guys,” juxtaposing Johnson’s low register with Mooney’s high register.

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Smyers explained that the duo initially hesitated to address such a heavy topic, but the collaborative storytelling made the song feel inevitable. He emphasized the responsibility they felt toward Vaughn, the community, and themselves to see the project through. Mooney highlighted the personal relevance of the album’s snapshots, noting that “Her, the kids and Jesus” reflects his current life stage. Both members framed the record as a “life-giving” artistic shift that aims to resonate with listeners facing hardship.

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• “For one of the first times in our career, I was like, ‘I’m not like sure if we should tackle this,’” — Dan Smyers

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• “We were just sharing stories about our friend. And it just fell out of us. A verse and a chorus in, and I think we were all just like, ‘I don’t know, man. Is this too heavy to tackle?'” — Dan Smyers

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