Dan + Shay are “Home” for tonight’s “CMA Country Christmas” on ABC, and they’re ready to rock

ABC/Mark LevineIf you notice a little something different about Dan + Shay tonight on ABC’s CMA Country Christmas special, it’s probably because they’re still on a bit of high after the year they’ve had: In 2018, “Tequila” became the biggest song of their career so far, and the follow-up, “Speechless,” is now nearing the top of the chart.

Dan Smyers and Shay Mooney have sung on the Country Music Association’s Christmas card to the world quite a few times, but tonight, they’re taking a different approach.

“We’re changing it up a little bit this year,” Dan explains. “You know, everybody’s fallen in love with these Christmas songs over generations and generations, but, you know, traditionally we’ve stuck pretty true to the song. This year, we spiced it up a little bit.”

“We’re doing a little bit of a different arrangement on ‘I’ll Be Home for Christmas,’” he continues. “It’s gonna be fun. It’s a little more rockin’.”

Dan promises he and Shay will also bring the energy to match.

“We’re moving around a little bit more than we traditionally do,” Dan points out. “In the past, we’ve kinda stuck at the mic, tried to look stoic, ‘blue steel’ it a little bit in between lines.”

“Tonight we’re gonna be cruising around and having a lot of fun,” he adds. “So, it’s a little different, but hopefully the fans like it. We’re excited about it.”

You can tune in to see Dan + Shay, as well as Reba McEntire, who returns to host CMA Country Christmas for the second time tonight at 8 p.m. ET on ABC. Old Dominion, Brett Eldredge, Brett Young, Martina McBride, Amy Grant, the legendary Tony Bennett, and many more will also help spread the yuletide cheer.