Dan + Shay delivered a rousing performance of “Save Me the Trouble” at the 2023 CMA Awards.
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Within seconds, they proved how they earned their nomination for Vocal Duo of the Year. Shay Mooney blew the crowd away with his powerful pipes. While Mooney was arguably the star of the performance, Dan Smyers had no problem keeping up.
[RELATED: Dan + Shay Tease New Album, Release Single “Save Me The Trouble”]
Their performance tonight is a testament to what comes from hard work and dedication. Earlier this year, the duo almost called it quits. Fortunately, they were able to sit down and work things out. Smyers recalled, “Because we worked at it, that’s what makes what we’re doing now infinitely sustainable. I could do this the rest of my life.”
After mending their relationship, the duo put together Bigger Houses, which dropped in September. Dan + Shay introduced the world to their album with the lead single “Save Me the Trouble.” The single and album are some of the duo’s best work to date.
Smyers spoke about the song in a statement. “We wanted to have something that was a real moment and when we started writing this, it felt like it could be something big,” he said. “I wanted every section to build, and even in the second chorus, when you’re like, ‘Okay, there’s no way it could possibly get any crazier,’ then Shay takes off even further,” he added.
At tonight’s CMA Awards, Smyers saw that intention realized. Every section of the song built to a crescendo. Then, just when viewers thought it couldn’t be any bigger, Mooney came in unleashing the power of his pipes and cranking things up to 11.
About the album, Smyers said, “Ultimately, this music, this whole album is something that I’ll be able to look back on in a decade or two and be really proud of the way it turned out.” It would be fair to say he could say the same about tonight’s performance.
Photo by Terry Wyatt/Getty Images
