Dan + Shay Reveal They Almost Broke Up In New Video

Dan + Shay released a video called "The Drive," where the two drive around and talk.  And they dropped a pretty big revelation: that they almost broke up after their 2019 Arena tour. The tour lasted nearly two years after left them feeling burnt out.

Dan Smyers starts off the video where the two are driving alone together on a white vintage Ford Bronco, "I was in, like, the lowest low of my entire life. I came off the road, and I was like, 'Man, I f---ing hate music. I'm ready to quit.'"

Shay says, "I could feel the separation, and I think there were little things between you and me that we never talked about. It was affecting everything. Not just our band. Like, my marriage, everything. I was in a really dark place."

Then words appear on the screen that explains, "In March of 2022, after not speaking for four months, Dan + Shay met to discuss the future of the band."

Smyers says, "Whether we break up and we hug it out and say 'Man, this has been the best ten years of my life,' or we say, 'Man, this is a launching-off point, this is a new beginning, this is a chance for a whole new outlook on life.'" He then explains that after COVID it was time for the guys to access their career and "step back" noting that they didn't take the time to appreciate the time they spent in their careers, which included several Grammy wins. He said that he was ignoring his marriage, family, and friends, admitting, "I completely burnt myself out. Entirely burnt me out."

Mooney agrees, adding that he focused on the group's career responsibilities, which left him feeling unhappy. Shay said of the tour, "I was hanging so much of my happiness on the success of that arena tour. Even when it was successful, I got to that show, and then we would leave mad about something stupid. It was because we put so much weight on that moment when it was over; what a downer."

Mooney went on to say he drank too much during that time and was feeling sorry for himself. He said, "I was drinking a lot, so those highs became really high, and the lows became really, really low."

Dan recalled when the guys got together to try and solve their unhappiness, saying, "The moment when we talked it out, that night was so healthy, and that moment changed it all. It was a big turning point. It was us saying to each other, 'Look, I'm willing to fight for this."

He added, "The thing that filled my cup the most was being in a room with you, making music together. One of the most important things that's ever happened in my life was Dan + Shay. If we're gonna keep going forever, let's get ourselves right. Let's have a gut check."

Shay says, "We love this band; it has been our life. It matters to me." He adds, "It's amazing to know now that we found that joy that we were talking about."

Smyers says, "I can feel the closeness of our relationship and our friendship when I listen back to the music. We are, by far, a million times, the closest we've ever been. For so many reasons. But because we worked at it. That makes what we're doing now infinitely sustainable. I could do this the rest of my life with you."

The duo then teased that they have been working on new music with a release to come soon. They end the video by saying that they love and are proud of each other.

See that video here.

Dan + Shay is back after taking some time away to regroup. They are set to be the first duo to be coaches on NBC's The Voice when Season 25 of the show premieres in the Spring of 2024. The new season will also include Reba McEntire in a coach's chair.

They also recently announced their forthcoming fifth studio album, Bigger Houses, co-produced by Dan Smyers and set to release worldwide on September 15 via Warner Music Nashville.

Dan Smyers said of the duo's fifth album, "Some of our records have been more pop- or hip-hop/R&B-infused, but on this record, I wanted to make tracks that we could hop up at any bar anywhere with our live band and play the songs as they were recorded."

He added, "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." This comes shortly after the revelation that the successful duo almost broke up. But it seems they are pretty happy lately: at a recent show, they both took their shirts off, showing off the results of their fitness routines.

1. Breakin' Up With a Broken Heart - Dan Smyers, Shay Mooney, Zach Crowell, Ashley Gorley
2. Save Me The Trouble - Dan Smyers, Shay Mooney, Ashley Gorley, Jordan Minton, Jordan Reynolds
3. Heartbreak On The Map - Dan Smyers, Jimmy Robbins, Ernest Keith Smith
4. Always Gonna Be - Dan Smyers, Shay Mooney, Ashley Gorley, Jordan Minton, Jordan Reynolds
5. For The Both of Us - Dan Smyers, Andy Albert, Jordan Reynolds
6. Then Again - Dan Smyers, Shay Mooney, Andy Albert, Lori McKenna, Jordan Reynolds
7. Heaven + Back - Dan Smyers, Shay Mooney, Matt Dragstrem, Josh Thompson
8. What Took You So Long - Dan Smyers, Jordan Minton, Jordan Reynolds, Jimmy Robbins
9. Missing Someone - Trannie Anderson, Adam Doleac, Dylan Guthro, Gordie Sampson
10. We Should Get Married - Dan Smyers, Shay Mooney, Andy Albert
11. Neon Cowgirl - Dan Smyers, Shay Mooney, Zach Crowell, Jessie Jo Dillon, Ashley Gorley
12. Bigger Houses - Dan Smyers, Andy Albert, Jordan Minton, Jordan Reynolds

The duo are working on their comeback after an early career that included a handful of Grammy Award wins and a huge tour. As Dan celebrates his 36th birthday today (8/16), we take a look at 11 songs that brought the duo to country music superstardom.