Dan + Shay’s Ethnicity: Why Do People Ask if Dan Smyers and Shay Mooney Are Mexican?
The country duo Dan + Shay has been a chart-topping success since bursting onto the scene in 2013. From sold-out concerts to high-profile collaborations with artists such as Rascal Flatts, Dan + Shay is one of the hottest groups in the music industry. Though the two singer-songwriters have been in the biz for years, there’s still an air of mystery surrounding them, and the curious take to Google to learn more about them. One of the most popular search questions relates to their ethnicity, with many asking, “Are Dan + Shay Mexican?”
What songs are Dan + Shay best known for?
Musicians Dan Smyers and Shay Mooney are Dan + Shay. The two worked as solo artists before forming their duo in late 2012. They quickly discovered that, together, they could craft beautiful country songs, and by 2013, they had released their first single, “19 You + Me.” The track received positive reviews from fans, and in April 2014, Dan + Shay released their debut studio album, Where It All Began.
Over the past decade, Smyers and Mooney have released numerous hits, including “Show You Off,” “Tequila,” “Speechless,” and the Justin Bieber collaboration “10,000 Hours.” They have also earned many accolades, including three Grammy Awards.
These days, Dan + Shay is one of the most popular country music duos around, regularly playing sold-out shows across America.
So, are Dan + Shay Mexican?
Dan + Shay are the subjects of countless Google searches, and a common query is “Are Dan + Shay Mexican?” Though some observers might wonder if the two are Latino because of their dark-brown hair and tan skin, neither singer is of Mexican descent.
Smyers, who hails from Pennsylvania, has an ethnic background that includes Japanese, Irish, Scottish, English, and German heritage, Country Fancast reports.
Mooney, who is a few years younger than his songwriting partner, was raised in Arkansas and has Irish/English ancestors.
Country Fancast notes that people might wonder if the two are Mexican because of their hit song “Tequila.” After all, the titular alcoholic beverage is primarily made in Mexico.
Fans also want to know about the singers’ wives
Dan + Shay are best known for their music, but behind the scenes, their lives are pretty peaceful.
Smyers has been with his wife, Abby Law, since 2013, after the two crossed paths while volunteering at an animal rescue center. The two bonded over their mutual love for animals and vegetarian lifestyle.
They got engaged in 2016 and tied the knot the following year, celebrating their union with a big party in Nashville, the city where they first connected. The two even served plant-based dishes at their wedding reception.
Mooney also got married in 2017, to Hannah Billingsley, and they share two young children. The former Miss Arkansas USA and the country star met through mutual friends. Mooney told People he knew right away Billingsley was the one.
“She’s the best thing that’s ever happened to me, so I had to lock it down,” he said. “She’s my better, and much better-looking, half.”
It’s clear Mooney and Smyers love the idea of love — and as they revealed in a recent interview, they’re thrilled when one of their songs plays at a wedding.
“We always say for our song to be a part of somebody’s wedding, that’s arguably the biggest day of somebody’s life, the biggest moment of somebody’s life,” Smyers told Taste of Country. “For all the great songs that exist in the universe [and] for them to choose our song, that’s the most surreal thing. That’s such a cool thing.”
