Dan Smyers and Shay Mooney are secretly battling one another on The Voice

‘Dan and Shay show secret strain on The Voice, with showboating coach using body language to establish dominance’

COUNTRY duo Dan Smyers and Shay Mooney are secretly battling one another on The Voice after kicking off their joint coaching role, a body language expert has said.

She claimed a rift between the country singers could have resurfaced and noticed a “pressure” building when they joined Season 25 of the singing competition.

Dan Smyers seemed to be using the height differential to impose a hint of dominance over Shay Mooney, said Judi JamesCredit: NBC

Body language expert Judi James said Dan showboated with a diagonal body lean to dominate the space beside Reba McEntireCredit: Instagram/ncbthevoice
Grammy Award winners Dan, 36, and Shay, 31, appeared on The Voice for the first time as coaches in February.

One promotion clip on Instagram showed the stars talking about their new gig.

“I’m excited to watch both of you coaching and fighting between you two; you cannot possibly agree on every decision,” commented one fan.

Body language expert Judi James noticed “status and power rituals” between the country music stars.

She said at 5 feet and 8 inches tall, Dan used Shay as a “leaning post.”

Dan and Shay have performed as a duo since 2012 but separated for a spell in 2021.

“Pressure and strain are showing between this double act,” James told The U.S. Sun.

“Dan and Shay split up in the past, and here we saw signs of fluctuating status and power rituals.

“There was also an imbalance of star time during their promo clips.

“Dan and Shay looked as keen as mustard to do well, but there were displays of overkill smiling and ingratiation techniques.

“Their first clip showed Dan using Shay as a leaning post as they discussed the show.

“In the group coach photo, Dan used facial showboating and a diagonal body lean to dominate.”

The Voice season 25 deemed ‘unwatchable’ due to ‘too many country coaches’ taking over chairs
“The heat has been turned up in terms of secretly competing with each other,” she claimed.

“Dan & Shay may not be the double team The Voice hoped for.”

A video shared on Instagram in February showed the pair inspecting their new double chair.

“[Dan and Shay] say 2 red chairs are better than 1,” NBC captioned the post.

Dan mimed, whacking his hand down on the red button from a great height to show he would be the one to decide.
Judi James

The duo sat close to one another, checked out the infamous red button, and discussed tactics.

James said Dan performed other power gestures to assert himself in the double chair.

“Dan tended to use more of a power leg splay when he sat down before Shay followed suit,” said James.

“Then they started wrangling over who would push the red button.

“Dan mimed, whacking his hand down on the red button from a great height to show he would be the one to decide.”

Dan mimed and whacked his hand down on the red button as though he might make decisions on his own back, said Judi JamesCredit: Instagram/nbcthevoice
“Shay then pointedly placed his hand lower, right over the button.

“He showed Dan how they would make joint decisions with his hand on it and laid his other hand over it in defiance,” she said.

“Dan could not use his height to his advantage because he was sitting down in the double chair.”

Dan and Shay sang with Reba McEntire, John Legend, and Chance the Rapper in another Instagram clip.

“[Shay] has a beautiful high voice,” commented one fan, while another added, “Shay’s vocals are so powerful!”

Dan used Shay as a leaning post as he talked excitedly about the show, according to an expertCredit: Instagram/nbcthevoice
“This was Shay’s time to shine in the duo,” said James.

“He flexed and stretched his vocals as much as possible and got approval nods from the other coaches.

“Dan won much less camera attention and had to stand back, strumming his guitar.

“He did not get his vocal mic while Shay belted out the song in close-up.”

The duo hit the country music scene over a decade ago.

Since 2012, they have amassed over 10 billion global streams via Tequila, Speechless, and From The Ground Up.

Dan and Shay both married their wives (Abby Law and Hannah Billingsley) in 2017Credit: Getty
They also appeared as battle advisors with Blake Shelton on The Voice in 2020.

In 2021, the pair separated professionally after finishing up an arena tour.

Dan claimed in an interview with Entertainment Tonight that they took time out because performing as a duo was “tough.”

“I think life just happens,” he said.

The Voice is testing the strength of their professional relationship all over again.
Judi James

“We’ve been doing this for 10 years, and being in a duo is the toughest configuration of being an artist,” he added.

By March 2022, they were back together after not speaking for four months.

“That night kind of changed everything because we aired a lot of stuff out,” Dan said.

“I apologized for things in the past, and he did the same. We had this come-to-Jesus moment.”

Dan and Shay (seen here in May 2022) got back together as a singing duo after a four-month break in 2021Credit: Getty
James maintained they must work hard to agree to make their latest TV effort successful.

“The Voice is testing the strength of their professional relationship all over again,” she said.

“The fierce sense of competition between the coaches is part of the Voice’s show’s success.

“Dan & Shay are there as one.

Dan and Shay are already competing for camera time.
Judi James

“Reba and the other coaches have the easy side because they only compete with each other.

“Dan and Shay must agree on all their choices, mentoring, and feedback.

“But Dan and Shay are already competing for camera time.

“This has been unexpected.”

Judi James told The U.S. Sun that Dan tended to use more ‘power splays’ than ShayCredit: Instagram/nbcthevoice
Previously, Dan and Shay’s personal lives have been closely aligned.

They both got married in the same year.

Dan tied the knot with his girlfriend, Abby Law, in 2017.

Shay married Hannah Billingsley in 2017 and welcomed a son, Asher James Mooney.

James suggested Dan would continue to try to dominate, which showed most of all during the coach’s line-up photo op.

Shay looks squeezed into the line-up here and is effectively just a head, said Judi JamesCredit: Instagram/ncbthevoice
“Facing up to the camera in what looks like a selfie, Dan used the height differential again to impose a hint of dominance,” she said.

“He leaned his elbow on Shay’s shoulder, not in a partial clasp, hug, or affection.

“He used Shay as a leaning post yet again.

“When Dan and Shay posed in the coaches’ line-up photo, Dan positioned himself next to Reba.

“He was the only one who used facial showboating again and a diagonal body lean to dominate the space beside her.

It is becoming about which out of the double act might do better solo.
Judi James

“Shay was forced to squeeze into the line-up and is effectively just a head, mirroring Dan’s open-mouthed expression.”

“Dan clapped his hands together in a gesture of authority.

“He then moved to the middle of the pose, repeated the clap, and used a steepled thumb micro-gesture to suggest leadership,” she claimed.

“Dan even jerked his thumb at Shay to allow his turn to speak.

“This moment was so telling in terms of their duo dynamics.

“Chance said he would steal Dan or Shay as a joke rather than lump them together.

“It is becoming about which out of the double act might do better solo.”

Dan and Shay were like two kids checking out their new bedrooms on The Voice after moving home to a new house, said an expertCredit: Instagram/nbcthevoice