Just a few days before its release, Rascal Flatts took to Instagram with an iMessage graphic reading “You asked, we listened. Jonas Brothers collab out Friday.” With its world premiere on iHeartCountry, Rascal Flatts and Jonas Brothers are here with new single “I Dare You.” Written by Nick Jonas, Shay Mooeny (of Dan + Shay), Dewain Whitmore Jr. (“Die For You” by Joji, “Find You” by Nick Jonas), and Tommy English (“High Horse” by Kacey Musgraves), the new single brings country, rock, and pop together. Flatts’ guitarist Joe Don Rooney said in a video posted on Instagram, “I Dare You. What a cool thing to say to a girl who’s broken-hearted and maybe afraid to fall in love again or give it a second chance.”
The track begins with an acoustic guitar finger picking and snare drum to start. The rhythm guitar accents the first verse, with Gary LeVox’s vocals expressing the narrative’s main conflict: “You give me just enough / Oh, dangerous to call it love,” reading into what the other person is feeling, but not wanting to call it so. He then continues in the chorus, seeming to understand where the feeling of fear is coming from but encouraging her to act on her feelings: “I dare you to run and, baby, don’t look back / I know it scares you ’cause no one prepared you.”
Moving into the second verse sung by Nick Jonas, we see the theme of danger again, this time in the form of “running with scissors.” The chorus reprise is by both Nick and Joe Jonas, their voices fitting well with this country-pop-rock track. A triage of voices come together to sing the bridge, a call to action as a guitar solo plays amongst all of the vocal harmonies before fading out.
After a hiatus, the Rascal Flatts are hitting the road for their LIFE IS A HIGHWAY TOUR, celebrating their 25 years together. Along with “Life Is A Highway” and “What Hurts The Most,” the trio will hopefully be adding “I Dare You” to their set. In an interview with Billboard, Flatts’ pianist Jay DeMarcus said,
“We’re so excited to kick off this next chapter of Rascal Flatts with this single, working with Kevin, Joe and Nick is such a blast, they’re class acts. I think this song fits perfectly into our catalogue while also showing off something new and exciting, and we can’t wait to share it with our fans on the road!”
You can listen to “I Dare You” below:
View the dates for the nearly sold out LIFE IS A HIGHWAY TOUR here:
2/13 – Evansville, IN – Ford Center – SOLD OUT
2/14 – Charleston, WV – Charleston Coliseum – SOLD OUT
2/15 – Grand Rapids, MI – Van Andel Arena – SOLD OUT
2/22 – Durant, OK – Choctaw Grand Theater – SOLD OUT
2/27 – Sioux Falls, SD – Denny Sanford Premier Center – SOLD OUT
2/28 – Green Bay, WI – Resch Center – SOLD OUT
3/1 – Moline, IL – Vibrant Arena – SOLD OUT
3/6 – Columbus, OH – Nationwide Arena – SOLD OUT
3/7 – Toledo, OH – Huntington Center – SOLD OUT
3/8 – Youngstown, OH – Covelli Centre – SOLD OUT
3/13 – Manchester, NH – SNHU Arena – SOLD OUT
3/14 – Uncasville, CT – Mohegan Sun Arena – SOLD OUT
3/15 – Allentown, PA – PPL Center – SOLD OUT
3/20 – Huntsville, AL – Von Braun Center Propst Arena – SOLD OUT
3/21 – Greenville, SC – Bon Secours Wellness Arena – LOW TICKET WARNING
3/22 – Savannah, GA – Enmarket Arena – SOLD OUT
3/27 – Ft. Worth, TX – Dickies Arena – SOLD OUT
3/28 – Lafayette, LA – CAJUNDOME – SOLD OUT
3/29 – Little Rock, AR – Simmons Bank Arena – LOW TICKET WARNING
4/3 – Estero, FL – Hertz Arena – SOLD OUT
4/4 – Orlando, FL – Kia Center – SOLD OUT
4/5 – Jacksonville, FL – Vystar Veterans Memorial Arena – SOLD OUT
Keep up with Rascal Flatts: Instagram // Facebook // YouTube // Website
Keep up with the Jonas Brothers: Instagram // TikTok // X // Website
