‘Not At This Party’ by Dasha - Lyrics & Meaning

In 2024, Dasha all but exploded into the country and pop musical arenas.

Thanks to her little smash song, 'Austin,' the 25-year-old nabbed hundreds of millions of streams and billions of views on TikTok, secured profile appearances everywhere from late night TV and award shows to the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade and New Year's Rockin' Eve, released her debut country record, What Happens Now?, and managed to have one of the most prominent ear-worms of the year.

As the calendar flipped to 2025, the California has been off to the races as she readies her sophomore record and looks to earn her stripes as more than just a one hit wonder or flash in the pan, and after hearing her newest offering, 'Not At This Party,' it's evident that Dasha is so much more than just 'Austin.'

Seemingly unable to release a song that isn't an immediate, bonafide hit, 'Not At This Party' serves as the first peek at what we can expect from the country-pop prodigy in 2025 and beyond.

Centered around a romping banjo, fit with a handful of solos, boot stomping, hand clapping, infectious gang vocals and a heavy helping of fiddle and mandolin, 'Not At This Party' is the perfect cross-section of the country and pop worlds.

Basically a masterclass in straddling those genre lines, Dasha penned the tune with revered country hitmakers Ashley Gorley and Ben Johnson, who also offers his deft production skills to the song.

“Deep breath, big smile
It's been a while
Since I've been in a crowd like this
Stay off the wall
Don't think, just talk
Pray no one says the name I miss”

We find our narrator amidst a sea of people at some party that we quickly realize she doesn't want to be at.

Giving herself a pep talk, of sorts, to put on a brave face and basically fake it till she makes it through the night, all that she can hope for is that no one brings up her ex that she can't seem to get over.

“I'm drunk here in the bathroom line
I'm checking my phone just one more time
In case you hit me with an un-goodbye
I fix myself up in the mirror
And walk out with a shitty beer
Even though they see me here”

We move to the all too relatable events of the girls bathroom line at a party (boys, you wouldn't get it, sorry), as she desperately checks her phone to see if this guy has finally realized he doesn't want to break things off.

Knowing that it's all wasted effort, she grabs her shitty beer (probably some IPA micro brew) and strides back out into the chaos. Yet, even though she's physically present...

“I'm not at this party
I'm back in your backseat
You're pulling it over
You just had to have me
I can't hear this music
Cause I'm hearing you yell
You're so in love with me but right now you need to work on yourself
They think I've moved on with my life
And I'm having a good night
I'm here on this dance floor
Just like everybody
But nobody here knows just how bad you got me
I'm not at this party”

She's mentally somewhere else.

She might be dancing on the floor with her friends and selling the lie that she's having a great time and is totally over what's his name, her mind is stuck on their time together. Having flashbacks to their intense and intimate moments, she also remembers his unwillingness to grow up and commit to their relationship.

Even though everyone around her may think it's all good and gone, she is so helplessly stuck on this guy and it's starting to take over her life.

"I'm good (I'm good)
I'm great (I'm great)
Don't say (don't say)
Your name (Your name)
Just talk about the weather instead (La, la, la)
Just stay (just stay), don't leave (don't leave)
So they (so they) can't see (can't see)
We're steaming up the glass in my head"

With an absolutely infectious reverb repeat, we're back inside her head as she coaches herself on how to get through this party, namely avoiding bringing up her ex and sticking to small talk instead.

In one final attempt, she urges herself to stay and keep up appearances, because if she leaves, her friends might see just how hung up on this guy she really is.

"I'm not at this party
I'm back in your backseat
You're pulling it over
You just had to have me
I can't hear this music
Cause I'm hearing you yell
You're so in love with me but right now you need to work on yourself
They think I've moved on with my life
And I'm having a good night
I'm here on this dance floor
Just like everybody
But nobody here knows just how bad you got me
I'm not at this party"

Dasha has been performing a version of 'Not At This Party' during her live shows for much of the last 6 months or so, but she officially announced the new single's release during her coveted performance at CRS' New Faces of Country Music showcase in Nashville, Tennessee, on February 21.

"I have this song called 'Not At This Party' that is kicking off this new album cycle for me," she told the crowd, teeming with industry executives and radio broadcasters, finally delivering the news we've all been waiting for, "It comes out officially next Friday, February 28th!"

During a conversation with Holler ahead of the song's release, the 'Bye Bye Bye' hitmaker explained that this new song serves as a telling roadmap as to what we can expect from her forthcoming record.

"'Not At This Party' is kind of like the pinnacle of me really tapping into the space between pop and country, like raw mandolin, banjo solos, fiddle. Then, it also has that big pop hook that I love," she shared.

"This album is going to feel like this and I'm very excited."

Deep breath, big smile
It's been a while
Since I've been in a crowd like this
Stay off the wall
Don't think, just talk
Pray no one says the name I miss

I'm drunk here in the bathroom line
I'm checking my phone just one more time
In case you hit me with an un-goodbye
I fix myself up in the mirror
And walk out with a shitty beer
Even though they see me here

I'm not at this party
I'm back in your backseat
You're pulling it over
You just had to have me
I can't hear this music
Cause I'm hearing you yell
You're so in love with me but right now you need to work on yourself
They think I've moved on with my life
And I'm having a good night
I'm here on this dance floor
Just like everybody
But nobody here knows just how bad you got me
I'm not at this party

I'm good (I'm good)
I'm great (I'm great)
Don't say (don't say)
Your name (Your name)
Just talk about the weather instead (La, la, la)
Just stay (just stay), don't leave (don't leave)
So they (so they) can't see (can't see)
We're steaming up the glass in my head

I'm not at this party
I'm back in your backseat
You're pulling it over
You just had to have me
I can't hear this music
Cause I'm hearing you yell
You're so in love with me but right now you need to work on yourself
They think I've moved on with my life
And I'm having a good night
I'm here on this dance floor
Just like everybody
But nobody here knows just how bad you got me
I'm not at this party

I'm drunk here in the bathroom line
I'm checking my phone just one more time
In case you hit me with an un-goodbye, I know you won't
I fix myself up in the mirror
And walk out with a shitty beer
Even though they see me here

I'm not at this party
I'm back in your backseat
You're pulling it over
You just had to have me
I can't hear this music
Cause I'm hearing you yell
You're so in love with me but right now you need to work on yourself
They think I've moved on with my life
And I'm having a good night
I'm here on this dance floor
Just like everybody
But nobody here knows just how bad you got me
I'm not at this party

I'm not at this party

––

For more on Dasha, see below: