Music

Dan + Shay Cancel Handful of Shows Due to COVID-19 in Their Camp

Dan + Shay had some disappointing news to share with fans on Tuesday (Nov. 2), but they countered it with a couple of exciting tidbits of information. The pair posted an update on social media, and started with the not-so-good: They’re going to have to cancel a couple of shows in the near future.

“A member of our immediate touring party has tested positive for COVID-19 and to protect the safety of our fans and everyone around us, we will sadly have to cancel the upcoming dates in Orlando and Atlanta,” they write, speaking about two dates planned for Nov. 4 and Nov. 5.

Unfortunately, Dan + Shay go on to say, they weren’t able to reschedule those shows, and fans can get refunds for their tickets at the point of purchase.

“We know a lot of y’all have travelled or plan to travel for these shows, and it breaks our hearts to let you down,” they add.

However, it seems that concertgoers in the Orlando and Atlanta areas won’t have to wait too long before they can see the duo live. “Yes, we’re super bummed, but in trying to find some positivity on a difficult day, that brings us to the good news,” they continue. “We are happy to announce that we will be touring stadiums with Kenny Chesney next year, and we will be making stops near Orlando and Atlanta.”

“We’ve always dreamed of being a part of this tour, so these shows will be extra special and we hope to see so many of y’all there,” Dan + Shay’s message adds.

Announced on Monday (Nov. 1), the next leg of Chesney’s Here and Now 2022 Tour will feature Old Dominion and Carly Pearce as well as Dan + Shay. The run of dates will kick off in late April and features a stop in Tampa on April 23 as well as an Atlanta stop on May 21.

But that’s not the only piece of good news Dan + Shay had to share: They also offered some new details about their Christmas-related musical plans, which they’ve been teasing ever since late 2020.

“We’ve got some Christmas surprises coming your way this holiday season, the first of which is happening Wednesday morning,” they report. “We’re VERY excited, so stay tuned. Thanks for reading this novel of a post, and thanks to the folks who were planning to attend the shows this week for understanding. We’ve been looking forward to them (for literally two years now, lol) but promise we’ll make it up to you in a big way soon.”

Dan + Shay put out two original holiday songs for the 2020 Christmas season, called “Christmas Isn’t Christmas” and “Take Me Home for Christmas.” At the time, they hinted that they’d like to release more Christmas music — or even a full holiday album — in the future.

Best Country Albums of 2021 – Critic’s Pick

There have been many creative country albums in 2021, but not all have hit the mark. Artists are more than ever toying with distribution methods and packaging as much as they are new sounds, so you get double and triple albums, Part 1 and Part 2, and digital EPs in lieu of a traditional 10 or 11-song release.

The bar for an EP on this list of the best country albums of 2021 is higher than an LP, but one project did crack the Top 10. Too much music proved to dampen other artist’s efforts, although Alan Jackson’s first album in years was filled with country music we couldn’t turn away from. Where Have You Gone has 21 songs, but somehow no filler.

More than ever, this relied on staff opinion and artistic merit to allow for some parity among major label artists and independents. The 10 albums listed below are not ranked, although the year-end list published in the fall will crown a true best album of 2021.