Dan + Shay have returned from their latest hiatus and this time, they’ve got a something really powerful to say. With heavy hearts and a mission to bring hope to others, the 3x GRAMMY winning duo has released what they claim to be the “most important release of our career so far,” “Say So.”
The single arrived just a few days after the country stars announced that they were ready to kickstart their next musical chapter. Fans knew that they were up to something big when their official Instagram account was wiped clean except for a post that featured a snippet of their harrowing music video and its correlating release date.
Dan also confirmed in the comment section stating, “WE ARE BACK.”
The following post contained a heartfelt letter addressed to the fans, explaining where they’ve been, the deeply personal meaning behind their newest single and what’s coming next.
“As you know, we’ve been quiet for a while, and we just wanted to start by saying thank you so much for being patient with us. No, we didn’t almost break up again lol. In fact, our friendship is stronger than ever, and we’re really proud of that,” the message began.
They went on to say that they have spent more time in the studio together over the past year than they have since their Where It All Began album in 2013. This came as a result of “the most inspired burst of creativity” that they have experienced in their entire career thus far. Knowing they had so much to say through their music, the duo took their time to make sure they captured it all as well as possible.
Penned by the duo Dan Smyers and Shay Mooney, alongside Jimmy Robbins, and David Hodges, and co-produced by Smyers and Scott Hendricks, “Say So” marks the first taste of all the new music that has come from this period of hard work and creativity. Within the very first line of the track, it was clear that Dan + Shay had stepped away from their fun, upbeat sound and signature romance ballads to reflect on a very real moment of heartache.
They sing, “I got a call from a friend who don’t call very often/ Broke it to me, and I couldn’t believe that we lost him/ Really felt like it came out of nowhere/ But it never really comes out of nowhere/ It’s crazy the pain that we carry when nobody’s watching.”
According to an interview with Variety, the loss they are referring to in the song captures the emotions that stirred up following the 2025 death of their mutual friend and mentor, Ben Vaughn, head of Warner Chappell Music Publishing.
“We were talking about what we wanted to write that day, and we got to talking about Ben Vaughn….[a] big part of our career and a close personal friend,” Smyers told the outlet. “This happened a week or two after we had been hanging out at a little party at my house, celebrating ‘Bigger Houses’ going No. 1 and ‘10,000 Hours’ hitting a billion streams on Spotify. It was one of those things where no one saw it coming. At least we didn’t.”
This incredibly devastating hit on the Nashville community as a whole got the duo reflecting on mental health. Together, they dove headfirst into that heavy topic to put forth lyrics that feel like a reminder that it’s okay to not be okay and an invitation to reach out for help when times get dark. With pain running through their soulful vocals, the duo offers a heavy realization that people carry so much silently, and sometimes that struggle goes unseen until it’s too late.
The chorus opens into something bigger. Suddenly, the song isn’t just about loss anymore, it becomes a promise that unconditional, no-questions-asked support is out there. The way they repeat the line, “If you need somebody, say so,” feels as if they are trying to convince anyone who hears it that they are not alone, and there is help out there.
“If your light burns out and you’re in the dark/ If you can’t pick up the pieces/ If the world you trusted falls apart/ If your heart’s run out of reasons/ I’ll be there every time you call/ Pick you up every time you fall/ If you’re going through hell, you’re not alone/ If you need somebody, say so,” they continue onto the steady and powerful swell of emotions that break through on the chorus.
“‘Say So’ is a reminder that no matter what you are going through, you don’t have to go through it alone,” the duo explained. “We wrote this song from a very personal place and could not be prouder to stand behind the message.”
The music video that was released alongside the track opens with Shay getting arrested and put into the back of a cop car and pleading guilty for the charges of vandalism and the defacement of public property. The story continues to flash between Shay carrying a coffin of someone he lost and a different character walking across a bridge clearly in distress and considering the choice to leave it all behind.
In the end, his case was dismissed after the judge saw the positive message that Shay had spray painted on the concrete sitting just under the bridge where the other character stood. He saw the words, “if you need somebody, say so,” immediately took a step back and pulled his phone out to do just that, which ultimately saved his life.
A powerful message surrounding mental health was incorporated in the midst of the video. It read, “Every 11 minutes, someone in the United States dies by suicide.” With this song, Dan + Shay hope to provide the world with “strength and encouragement”
“The subject matter is heavy, it is serious and it is timely and it is something we feel is important to talk about,” they stated.
“Say So” offers the first glimpse of more Dan + Shay music coming this year. They added that they have “missed seeing everyone on the road” and that that will be changing “soon,” so fans should “stay tuned.”
“Sounds cliché for an artist to say but these songs really are more personal and honest than anything we have ever done before,” they said. “Because the music means so much to us, we have held it close and obsessed over every details but now we are ready to start sharing it with the world.”
Dan + Shay ended their letter to fans with one more mention of gratitude for their ongoing support over the years.
“Thank you again for always being in our corner. We get to do something we love because of you and we we’ll forever be grateful. This officially the start of the next chapter and we truly believe it will be the best,” they added.
The very last clip of the “Say So” music video stressed, “if you or someone you know is struggling, help is available.”
The Suicide + Crisis Lifeline can be reached by calling or texting “988.”
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