Dan + Shay’s New Song ‘Glad You Exist’ Exists Because of Dan Smyers’ Wife

Dan + Shay released their new song, “Glad You Exist,” on Friday, Feb. 5, and fans can thank duo member Dan Smyers‘ wife, Abby, for the fact that it exists at all. A message of love for the most important people in your life, Smyers and bandmate Shay Mooney got the idea for the song’s title from something Smyers tells his wife regularly.

“I had the phrase ‘glad you exist’ written down in my phone and I always caught myself saying it to my wife, just being appreciative that she is on this planet at the same time that I’m on this planet,” Smyers told The Country Daily. “I brought it to Shay and we started kicking around ideas, we thought it would be a really cool song.” He added that the song “turned into just a message about how grateful we are for everybody in our lives — our friends, our families, our fans. And it’s taken on new meaning for us, not being able to see everybody in person. So this song is super close to our hearts and we’re proud to get it out there into the world.”

Smyers and Mooney wrote “Glad You Exist” with Tayla Parx, Jordan Reynolds and Ryan Lewis, and the song became the most-added song in the nation to country radio this week. “It’s important, now more than ever, to tell the people we love that we love them,” Smyers and Mooney explained on Instagram. “this song is a message to everyone in our lives: our fans, our friends, our families, to remind them how much they mean to us. our hope is that these words spread some much needed positivity + light, so let’s get it started.”

The duo added ahead of the track’s release that “Glad You Exist” is “more than just a song.” “It’s a message of gratitude and hope. A message to everyone in our lives: our fans, our friends, our families, to remind them all how grateful we are to be on the planet at the same time,” they shared. “It’s truly remarkable when you think about it. We’ve spent the majority of the past year, like many others, searching for answers and a sense of normalcy, but finding comfort in memories of better days (that we all know will return soon).”

“Glad You Exist” follows Dan + Shay’s current single “I Should Probably Go to Bed,” and both songs are expected to appear on their as-yet-unannounced upcoming album.