Heavy/Getty Shay Mooney, Blake Shelton and Dan Smyers in 2020
Superstar country duo Dan+Shay wasn’t expected to become the first coaching duo on “The Voice” until Season 25 begins early next year. However, they had to settle into their new roles early, temporarily replacing current coach Niall Horan for part of the Knockout Rounds of Season 24 when he ran into some scheduling conflicts on his concert tour.
When Dan Smyers and Shay Mooney filled in for Horan during his team’s rehearsals, they had to learn the ropes quickly — and claim they couldn’t even get their country star Blake Shelton, who served as a coach on the show for 23 seasons, on the line for a little advice.
Here’s what you need to know:
Dan+Shay got advice from Niall Horan, but not Blake Shelton
As Dan+Shay prepared to perform at the CMA Awards, which will air on ABC on November 8, 2023, they told Audacy’s Sabrina From Queens that they had been unable to contact Shelton to get tips on “The Voice”.
In 2021, during Season 20, they served as Team Blake’s Battle Round Advisor in Season 20.
“We tried calling Blake, but he stopped answering our calls,” Smyer joked. “I think he changed his number because he got too big.”
Smyer then backtracked and said, “No, Blake is great,” adding that “Reba is great too.”
“It’s an honor to do this,” Smyer continued. “It was really a crazy experience. I don’t know why they chose us, but we got a big old double chair – two chairs, one button. We have to be locked up.”
However, Dan+Shay received some insight from Horan, as seen on the November 7 episode of The Voice. The pop star FaceTimed the duo to update them before they took over.
“I know you guys are coming here for Season 25, so it’s good training for you,” Horan told them.
“It’s going to be so much fun,” Smyers replied. “Of course we are always there for you.”
“I’ll send you all the information about the team, I’ll send you videos, I’ll introduce them to all of you so you can learn everything before you come here,” Horan said.
Mooney then joked that if Horan’s team wins, he hopes they can add credit for it to their Wikipedia page.
Dan+Shay have also already recorded the blind auditions for season 25
Although the Season 24 Knockout Rounds are now airing, Dan+Shay actually has several months of experience, as the blind auditions for Seasons 24 and 25 were filmed in July.
According to 1iota, which handles ticket sales for the show’s audience, “The Voice” recorded the Season 24 blind auditions from July 10 to 14. The Season 25 auditions, which won’t air until spring 2024, were filmed on July 24, 27 with Dan+Shay and fellow coaches Reba McEntire, Chance The Rapper and John Legend.
Before filming began, Dan+Shay shared how excited they were to begin “The Voice” in an Instagram post on June 30.
“We’ve never been so excited for anything in our lives,” Smyers said in the clip.
Meanwhile, Dan+Shay are nominated for Vocal Duo of the Year at the 2023 CMA Awards and are expected to perform their single “Save Me the Trouble.” They will also launch their “Heartbreak on the Map” tour in 2024.
“We’re excited,” Mooney told Sabrina From Queens. “We got to play a few shows, but not really many. That’s why I’m looking forward to experiencing this full circle moment. You write, you record, you release the album and now hearing fans singing the lyrics to new songs – it’s just a magical feeling.”
Liv Lane is an entertainment writer who covers Hallmark Channel, HGTV, American Idol and The Voice for Heavy. She has three decades of experience as a local and national radio host, brand publicist and creative consultant, interviewing and working with a wide range of dignitaries and celebrities, from Deepak Chopra to Lil Nas X. Liv is also an accomplished watercolor artist whose intuitive art is practiced throughout the USA and Canada sold. Liv attended the University of Minnesota and lives in Minneapolis. More about Liv Lane
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