It’s not always about Patron and clothes falling off, or going ten rounds with Jose Cuervo. Sometimes, if you’re careful, you can write a song about tequila that’s not about a party. And if you’re Dan Smyers and Shay Mooney, you can even make it a ballad.
The duo talked to Billboard Country Update and explained how, despite the name, their new single is not what you might expect.
“At first, when you hear that title, you think like party song, uptempo, feel good, like, ‘Let’s drink tequila and get crazy,’” Smyers said. “But you know, typical Nashville songwriter, my brain goes off, and I’m like, ‘What if we make it a sad song?’”
Smyers co-wrote the song with Nicolle Galyon and Jordan Reynolds. And he explained how he wanted the song to reflect the way certain smells take you down memory lane. “Senses are the ultimate nostalgia triggers. Whether it’s smell or taste, they take you right back. Like anytime I drink Coors Lite or smell Coors Lite, it feels like I’m at a baseball game with my dad when I’m a little kid,” he said.
That is so true. For me, if I smell a combination of Stroh’s Light and brown-bottle Lauren perfume, I’m immediately back at a high school party.
And yes, there is occasionally a tequila pour when the duo needs to sing. “In the spirit of the song, I think Dan and I poured ourselves a couple shots of tequila,” Mooney admitted.
While the song is still making its moves on the country charts, Dan + Shay have a different barometer for tracking its success: fan covers.
“You can definitely tell when you have a hit on your hands by the more people that cover it,” Mooney said. “If you look, ‘Tequila’ has 30 times the amount of covers on YouTube, Instagram and things than any other song than we’ve ever done.
“It’s a weird thing to base it off of, but it’s a really good reaction.”
Alison Bonaguro
This Article Was Originally Posted at www.CMT.com
