Grammy Award-winning duo Dan + Shay are preparing to release a new album called “Young,” a 10-song collection they say reflects where their lives are now, according to ABC News.
The album’s lead single, “Say So,” takes an especially serious turn. Written in tribute to their late mentor Ben Vaughn, the song focuses on suicide prevention and includes the message, “If you’re going through hell, you’re not alone,” according to the report.
Dan Smyers told The Associated Press that the pair were unsure at first about taking on such a heavy topic, but said the writing process became therapeutic. He said the day they began work on the song also would have been Vaughn’s 50th birthday, which he took as a sign the song could help someone.
“Young” includes songs about aging, faith, family and loss, along with lighter moments and love songs. Smyers and Shay Mooney said they wrote and scrapped an earlier batch of songs before arriving at the final 10 tracks, which they describe as more open and emotionally vulnerable than some of their past work.
The album also features Cody Johnson on “The Old Guys,” and Mooney said he hopes listeners find something meaningful in the record no matter what they are going through.
