Country Hitmaker Announces Hiatus Ahead of Vocal Surgery, Faces Weeks of Forced Silence

With only a few shows left in 2026 and a new album in the works, Dasha wasn’t ready to take a break just yet. Having spent several years breaking into country music, the singer gained a following thanks to hits like “Didn’t I,” “Mad About It,” and “Austin (Boots Stop Workin’).” While Dasha was thrilled with what she accomplished over the last year, it seemed that the stress of constantly performing, recording, and partying was getting to her. And in just a few weeks, she would be placed on vocal rest after undergoing surgery. 

Not the way Dasha wanted to end her year, but when doctors discovered nodes on her vocal cords, they advised her to get surgery. Scheduled for October 22, the surgery would take place at Nashville’s Vanderbilt University Medical Center. Given the center’s location, Dasha wasn’t the first country singer to have the procedure done. Apparently, Jordan Davis not only had the surgery but also had the same doctor as Dasha. 

Discussing the road that led her to get the surgery, Dasha admitted in a conversation with Billboard that it was mostly her own doing. “It’s from the past two-and-a-half years of craziness that just hit me like a truck. You don’t really get a lot of sleep. You talk, talk, talk and you party and you sing. It just caught up with me.” But even with the surgery happening weeks before the CMA Awards, she promised, “I’ll be able to talk, but I can’t be out partying and stuff, which sucks. I’ll have to be chill, but I’ll still be at the awards.”    

[RELATED: “It Cuts So Deep”: Country Star Gets Real About Online Trolls, Mental Health, and Embracing the “Trailer Swift” Name-Calling]

Dasha Prepared For Historic Year With New Album And Tour

Refusing to miss one of the biggest nights in country music, Dasha explained how the surgery was the easy part. When looking at her road to recovery, she wouldn’t be able to talk for two weeks. It would take even longer before she could take the stage once again. Not one to wait, Dasha insisted, “You have to retrain your brain on how to talk and you have to know when to exit the party early when you’re starting to hurt, which is not good for me.” 

As for her upcoming album, set to release in 2027, Dasha believed it would become a defining moment in her career. “I really think this album is going to be a tentpole for my career. I think it’s going to be an album that people really remember me by.” 

While Dasha prepared for a historic year, she kept her sense of humor close by. Still wanting to stay connected with fans on social media, she said, “It’s gonna be fun to try to make [social media] content and connect with fans in a different way.” 

For an artist who spent years finding her voice in country music, being told not to use it might be Dasha’s toughest challenge yet. But once cleared, the country star already had her sights set on a new album and an even bigger tour. 

(Photo by Joshua Applegate/Getty Images)