Pop Potential: Dan+Shay ~ 19 You + Me

Sometimes, regardless of genre, you just want to avoid pigeon holing a song and instead just tell the world about this jolly amazing tune that you've come across. This week that tune would be the elegantly beautiful, wonderfully reminiscent creation from Dan + Shay entitled 19 You + Me. These two talented individuals (Dan Smyers and Shay Mooney)have come together to forge a music career that starts with a debut so instantly accessible and so mellifluously engaging that it can only mean the start of great things for the duo. 19 You + Me is a tune that is drenched in Nashville heritage and influence, giving it a real narrative for listeners to become easily seduced by. Built around sweetly strummed acoustic guitar verses and a triumphant percussive chorus, everything is impeccably placed to complement each other. The hushed harmonies of the verses bring out the lilting nature of the guitar & enhance the dreamy lyrics. The soaring chorus gives a vibrant charm that is aided by anthemic vocals from the lads and has such huge impact that you'll effortlessly be singing along for days - what's inherently clever about this is that while the lyrics are brilliantly celebratory, there's a tinge of wistful sadness in there that can only be bought out by the nuanced performance from Dan and Shay. And that's exactly what they do - it's pure country music Americana but there's so much more to it than that. In the hands of Dan and Shay it's an intimate, honest look through memories that are indelibly etched into each of us. We may not have been 19, it may not have been summer but there are universal themes of love, longing and loss here that speak to everyone. Ultimately the sadness is erased by the embracing of the good memories & reliving the highs of what was - and perhaps what could have been. Accompanying this is a lyric video so evocatively shot and gorgeously framed that it feels like it should be the actual video to the song. Sometimes less is more and the luscious imagery combined with the cleverly placed words conjures up more in the mind than perhaps a fully scripted mini-movie ever could. So there you have it - Dan + Shay. Timeless music that defies categorisation and will endure through the ages. Can't wait for more...