Country duo Dan + Shay’s 2024 single “Bigger Houses” features a different sound than many of their big, pop-heavy hits. The contemplative song boasts a minimalist style with acoustic instrumentation like guitar and mandolin as well as the booming voices of Dan Smyers and Shay Mooney. The vocalists have made a name for themselves with songs about falling in love and unrequited love. However, for this tune, they focus on the true meaning of life.
They pull from a time-honored reference to make their point, with a new twist. Drawing from the popular saying, “Keeping up with the Joneses,” the lyrics creatively reveal, “But the older I get, I just care less and less/ ‘Bout keeping up with people named Jones.”