Dan + Shay Evoke Nostalgia in Heartfelt ‘Always Gonna Be’ [Listen]

Dan + Shay have dropped “one of the most special songs” of their career, “Always Gonna Be.”

The duo’s Dan Smyers and Shay Mooney co-wrote the track with Ashley Gorley, Jordan Reynolds and Jordan Minton, and the heartfelt all-American anthem is a celebratory ode to the often-overlooked blessings in life.

“Paradise is a swing on a porch / Summertime is a little too short / The best things in life are free / And they're always gonna be / Hometown is a heaven on earth / Sundays are for football and church / The world turns but I believe / There's always gonna be,” goes the sentimental opening verse.

“Beer drinkin' kids on a backroad / Good country songs on the radio / Tailgates fallin' down on a Friday / Long goodbye kisses in the driveway / Long as the sun keeps comin' up / Long as the Mississippi River runs / Baby, just like you and me / Some things are always gonna be,” Dan + Shay sing in the chorus over a rootsy arrangement bolstered by soaring guitar and fiddle lines.

“ALWAYS GONNA BE is one of our favorite songs we’ve ever written + recorded. It will forever hold a special place in our hearts because it was inspired by the very idea that we re-built our relationship on. Some things are always gonna be,” Dan + Shay share.

“When we wrote this song, we didn’t even know we were starting an album. We were just two best friends, reunited, and enjoying making music together the way we did 10 years ago,” they recount.

“Whether you’re listening for it or not, we think you’ll hear that magic in this recording. Thanks for allowing us to do what we love and for all the kind words about the new music,” the pair add.

“Always Gonna Be” is the latest preview of Dan + Shay’s fifth studio album, Bigger Houses. Due out Sept. 15, the 12-track project was first introduced in July with “Heartbreak on the Map,” the title track, and its lead single, “Save Me the Trouble.”