Dan + Shay Talk Joining ‘The Voice’ and Their Strategy to Defeat Reba McEntire—Something Blake Shelton Never Did

While the country music duo Dan + Shay started performing a decade ago, they used the last ten years to not only grow a sizable fanbase but also bring home three consecutive Grammy

Awards for Best Country Duo/Group Performance. With songs like “Speechless” and “Tequila”, the duo watched as their stardom continued to expand. Now, the singers are just days away from making their debut on the hit show The Voice. Marking the first “double chair” coaches on the show, the duo recently discussed their time in music and how they are “strategizing” on how to beat Reba McEntire.

Comprised of Shay Mooney and Dan Smyers, the pair will sit alongside John Legend, Chance the Rapper, and Reba on February 26, as The Voice kicks off season 25. While the show welcomed numerous coaches over the years, this marks the first time two country acts are competing against each other. Explaining how former coach Blake Shelton never competed against Reba, Mooney joked he had it easy before adding, “I feel like we have really been having to strategize and use our blocks to our advantage. Who doesn’t love Reba McEntire and didn’t listen to her music and watch her show growing up? That’s stiff competition. She’s very competitive.”

Although hoping to win their first season on The Voice, Mooney added that just receiving the opportunity was a win for them. “This is a massive opportunity for us. We’ve had some crossover success, but this opens you up to an entirely different audience. Being on television every week definitely expands the people who listen to your music. We don’t really know what to expect.”

Dan + Shay Hope To Stay On ‘The Voice’
While agreeing with his partner, Smyers used his time on The Voice to remember how lucky they were. “Seeing these people who are pouring their hearts and souls out onto that microphone, honestly, I can’t imagine being in their shoes. A lot of these people are coming from small towns and are singing into the back of somebody’s chairs. It’s a pretty high-pressure, nerve-wracking situation. It really is a cool perspective shift to see somebody who wants it so badly.”

With The Voice airing Monday on NBC, Dan + Shay are already looking to the future, hoping that their time on the show lasts longer than a single season. Excited about the new season, Smyers explained, “It’s just a really exciting, heart-pounding experience for us as coaches when the lights go down, not knowing what’s about to go into your ears. Hopefully they invite us back, because I’m having a little too much fun to give it up now.”

(Photo by Terry Wyatt/Getty Images)