Dan + Shay Break End With Mental Health-Themed Single, “Say So”

The Dan + Shay drought is over. The duo, who hasn’t released new music since a 2024 Christmas album, is finally back with a new song, “Say So.”

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Ahead of the release, Dan Smyers and Shay Mooney wiped their Instagram and posted a hand-written letter.

“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,” they quipped. “In fact, our friendship is stronger than ever, and we’re really proud of that.”

“Over the past year, we have gotten to spend more time in the studio together than we have since we made the where it all began album in 2013, and that has been so life-giving,” the duo continued, before revealing that they’ve had the “most inspired burst of creativity in our entire career.”

“These songs really are more personal and honest than anything we have ever done before,” they wrote. “Because the music means so much to us, we have held it close and obsessed over every detail, but now we are ready to start sharing it with the world.”

In an Instagram post celebrating the song’s release, the duo called the “most important release of our career so far.”

“We are beyond proud of this song and hope it becomes a hit (manifesting), but someday when we look back, we will define its ‘success’ not by the amount of sales + streams, but by the amount of people it helped,” they wrote. “Music is a powerful thing, and we believe that these words can offer strength and comfort to anyone who might be struggling.”

“Remember, no matter what you are going through, you don’t have to go through it alone. And if you need somebody, say so,” Dan + Shay added. “As always, much love and thank you so much for listening.”

Dan + Shay Reveal Real-Life Inspiration for “Say So”

Dan + Shay expanded on the meaning of the song in an interview with Variety. The guys revealed that the track was inspired by Ben Vaughn. A close friend and the head of Warner Chappell Music Publishing, Vaughn died by suicide in January 2025.

“I’ve personally dealt with mental health stuff over the last few years, more so than ever,” Smyers told the outlet. “We battle a lot of stuff inside and outside of ourselves.”

“And as we were talking about Ben, we were just like, ‘Man, I wish we would’ve known. I wish we could have reminded him that there’s always somebody on the other line,’” he continued. “At the time we wrote it, we were like, ‘I don’t know, man. It’s different than what we usually do. It’s not a love song.’ But it kind of is, I guess.”

Mooney agreed with his bandmate, before revealing that they had questioned if the song was “too heavy” to release.

“I think people can look at us just as they see some of their friends and think, ‘There’s no way that they’re going through something. They look like they’re doing great,’” he said. “That’s just a sad reality of mental health. No matter what it looks like on the outside, you never know what somebody’s battling with on the inside.”

“No matter how well you’re doing, some of those lowest points were at our highest mountain top,” Mooney added. “A lot of people don’t expect people that are having success in any way to be dealing with something like this, emotionally, on the inside.”

While the song is certainly heavy in its topic, it also offers hope. The track encourages people to know that they’re loved and to check on people they care about.

“Sometimes people you think are doing great aren’t doing so great. We’ve gotta all look out for each other,” Smyers said. “That’s our purpose as humans, you know?”

If you or someone you know is contemplating suicide or struggling with suicidal thoughts, help is available 24 hours a day through the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline at 988.

Photo by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images