Two years ago this month, fueled by a social media frenzy and a viral line dance, Dasha went from country music obscurity to its A-list in a matter of weeks. Since then, his time has been divided between embracing his growing public profile and becoming more introspective despite his fame. “I felt like I completely lost myself, and that was the scariest part of all of it,” Dasha says.
When “Austin (Boots Stop Workin’)” caught fire, the flames were intense. The California native was 24 years old and, looking back, she was completely unprepared for the way the song impacted her life. Her viral emergence was met with criticism ranging from expected buzz to outright sexism or hatred, and she found herself stereotyped and objectified as a party girl dancing on a table. In the wake of that rapid fame, he wrote “Oh, Anna!” -Anchor of her EP AnnaReleased last October. Now, Dasha has released a live version of the song recorded on stage at the Grand Ole Opry.
Dasha – full name Anna Dasha Novotny – says she hopes the song will put a period on the viral part of her life.
“The Opry version of ‘Oh, Anna’ really closed the chapter on this era of my music,” she says. “The post-‘Austin’ and post-Madness part. Figuring out the sound and how we were doing that, it was a whirlwind, and also sharing my vulnerable side.”
Between her Opry appearance and release AnnaShe addressed online hate rolling stone‘S Nashville Now Podcast, even shared a plan to sell the “Trailer Swift” after the nickname was thrown at it. She was hoping for an EP, and “Oh, Anna!” In particular, she will connect her audience with a darker, more vulnerable side that she says “Austin” had eclipsed in her.
“Oh, Anna” came from a writing appointment with Chris LaCorte, Emily Weisband, and Hillary Lindsey, and Dasha went into the session considering her career. She couldn’t escape the idea that she was living out the dreams of millions of girls, and her coworkers lashed out at the raw nerves that had been exposed by those expectations.
“After about ten minutes, I absolutely broke down,” says Dasha. “I was crying. I was like, ‘Guys, I don’t know how to do this. I don’t know how to wear this face and play this role. I feel like I’ve lost myself. I thought I’d be one of those people who always knew themselves no matter what, and right now, I don’t know what to do, and I’m freaking out.’
Dasha began to compare the life she was living with the one she herself had dreamed of.
“I was incredibly fearless as a kid,” she says. “Just remembering all those things and thinking ‘Oh, Anna!’ I’m writing!” Ten years in one session was the most healing therapy I could have honestly ever imagined. It was amazing.”
Dasha’s Opry debut came a few months after “Austin” left, and she has returned to the stage frequently since then. She was a member of the Opry NextStage Class of 2025, along with artists such as Caitlin Butts, Avery Anna, and Tucker Wetmore.
“Oh, Anna!” It was his choice to release a live version of. It’s as much a gesture of appreciation for the Opry as it is a second life for the song. “The Opry edition is very special,” she says, “because getting their approval, and playing there, is like, ‘Welcome to our world of country music.’ I felt very honored and respected.”
Josh Crutchmer is a journalist and author whose book (almost) almost famous Will be released on April 1st via Back Lounge Publishing.
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