In both politics and culture, there’s a common refrain that Americans need to learn how to get along again. In a constant argumentative state, we’re tuning one another out, especially online — unfollowing, unfriending, muting the old friends with whom we no longer see eye-to-eye.
Country music is no stranger to this divide, but it usually isn’t made public. Nashville singers are often cautioned to stay silent about their political beliefs, lest they alienate any fans. Instead, many artists in recent years have relied on idealism and songs urging everyone to just get along: Can’t we patch up our differences and just enjoy the music?
So it was surprising in late 2020 when Florida Georgia Line, one of the most high-profile acts in the genre, inadvertently became a microcosm of what was happening everywhere.
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Fans noticed that Tyler Hubbard (originally from Monroe, Ga.), had unfollowed his bandmate, Brian Kelley (originally from Ormond Beach, Fla.), on Instagram. It wasn’t hard to figure out why: This was around the presidential election, and Hubbard had previously made news for criticizing President Donald Trump’s tweets and becoming an advocate for stricter gun control laws. Kelley, meanwhile, had suggested coronavirus pandemic mandates were politically motivated, and when a fan assumed he voted for President Biden, he responded, “Think again bub.”
The guy from Florida leaning right and the guy from Georgia leaning left? Who could script this better? The story blew up on social media and became an irresistible news item on countless websites. The duo briefly addressed the rift and laughed off the idea that a political disagreement could jeopardize their musical partnership. Still, 2021 brought more rumors, in Nashville and from fans online. In January, they announced they would embark on separate solo projects, though they emphasized they were not breaking up. Speculation started again in August when Florida Georgia Line canceled a planned fall tour, citing a rise in coronavirus cases.
A publicist said the duo was unavailable for an interview; those who know the band, as well as industry insiders, either did not respond to inquiries or declined to answer comments on the record about what happened with the duo this year. But in the last couple of months, their Instagram account revved up again, posting about a few festival performances in summer 2022. Last month, at the Country Music Association Awards, the duo showed up to present together, making sure to note that they would be touring next year. Three weeks ago, the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum announced that in January, the venue will launch a new Florida Georgia Line exhibit called “Mix It Up Strong” about the duo’s journey.
So, while it appears Florida Georgia Line wants the world to know they are firmly intact, the year of rumors about their status speaks to their impact on the genre, and a natural curiosity of where one of the most successful country acts of the last decade would go next. After all, they’re the ones who changed the genre with their 2012 monster hit single, “Cruise,” the song that ushered in the “bro country” era. The duo is watched closely at a cultural moment in which even the smallest backstage dramas can turn political, even for a couple of carefree country music bros who got famous with the all-time catchy hook: “Baby you a song, you make me wanna roll my windows down, and cruise.”
One reason fans were taken aback by any apparent discord between the two was that even with the gloss of marketing, their bond as best friends always appeared genuine.
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Hubbard and Kelley met at a worship service when they were students at Belmont, the go-to school in Nashville for aspiring musicians. “I remember seeing [Kelley] and thinking, literally hearing God tell me that, ‘You need to go meet that guy, you need to do music with that guy,’” Hubbard said on a podcast in November 2020.
The pair graduated in 2009 and moved into a place dubbed the “Fun House” with some friends and got to work. They circumvented the typical Nashville process of writing songs for other artists and hoping to work their way up to performing. Instead, they hit writer’s rounds and the road, playing any bar that would have them. Eventually, the duo caught the attention of Seth England, a manager who signed them in late 2011, and they landed a record deal with Big Machine. Then “Cruise” — which they originally uploaded to iTunes before they even had a record deal — exploded the following year and changed their lives.
Four No. 1 albums and 19 No. 1 singles have since followed — including an even bigger international hit, collaborating with Bebe Rexha on the 2018 smash “Meant to Be,” shattering the record for the longest-running song at No. 1 on Billboard Hot Country chart.
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“They’re like the Energizer bunny of country music,” said J.T. Harding, a hit Nashville songwriter who co-wrote “Party People,” a cut from FGL’s first album. He, like others in the industry, marveled that years after their career-defining hit, they just kept going (and going) with another.
In their early days, FGL quickly encountered negative feedback, from steady criticism to outright mockery. Some critics couldn’t stand how they incorporated pop, rock and hip-hop into their songs. Others blamed them for “ruining” modern country music. After the explosion of “Cruise” in 2012, as well as subsequent singles such as “Round Here” and “Get Your Shine On,” every label in town tried to find their own FGL, promoting a slew of other artists whose music extolled the virtues of beer, dirt roads and pretty girls with long, tan legs. But the duo experienced phenomenally successful sales and sold-out concerts, and built a business empire. Together, they tried to ignore the haters.
Despite the seeming turmoil of this past year, it was highly unlikely that FGL could part ways — there was simply too much money at stake. In addition to their discography, they co-own a record label and publishing company, and last year signed an exclusive touring deal with Live Nation. They opened a Nashville bar, the FGL House, and started a line of whiskey called Old Camp.
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Shortly after the Great Unfollow incident, in November 2020, Hubbard and Kelley gave an interview to SiriusXM Nashville radio host Storme Warren’s podcast, where they said they weren’t splitting up and their bond was better than ever. Hubbard explained he just couldn’t deal with Kelley’s commentary around the election.
Share this articleShare“I even called him and told him, I said, ‘Hey, buddy. I love you. But I love you a lot more in real life than on your [Instagram] stories right now. So that’s why I’m unfollowing you. Nothing personal,’” Hubbard said. “But we thought it was pretty humorous and entertaining that somebody took the time to notice that in the first place, and then turn it into a story that FGL’s breaking up.”
“The truth is, we have been on a 10-year relationship, a 10-year partnership, a 10-year commitment to each other. And yes, there have been hard times. It’s not all sugarcoated,” Hubbard continued, adding that they have gone to therapy and “wanted to kill each other” at times. “But by the end of it, we were hugging it out. Because we’re brothers and that’s what brothers do. … We have worked to become stronger and stronger and stronger, and even through the hard times, it’s made us stronger as friends and brothers and partners. So we’re really thankful for it.”
Perhaps the incident struck a chord because it was so relatable. What country fan — what American, for that matter — hasn’t lost or turned away from a close friend or family member after a disagreement in these times? Hubbard eventually re-followed Kelley; at the beginning of 2021, the duo filmed a 9-minute video together saying they wanted to talk to their fans about something important. With much of the country still in various phases of shutdown, Hubbard and Kelley had spent the past year doing what many did — reevaluating their lives and thinking about what they wanted next.
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“I did a lot of soul-searching, man. I took some time off of writing songs and just kind of didn’t know what I was searching for,” said Kelley, who moved back to Florida last year with his wife, Brittney. He realized he wanted to create a solo album. He and Hubbard started talking about “really creating just some freedom for ourselves in addition to what we do with FGL.”
They decided after promoting their fifth studio album, “Life Rolls On” in February, they would embark on individual projects. Hubbard, who lives in Nashville with his wife, Hayley, and their three young children, was fully supportive of Kelley’s idea.
“It’s a beautiful place to be to be able to venture out and have a voice of our own and have an individuality,” Hubbard said. “We’ve always been a package deal, which has been amazing. But I think there’s freedom at this age, and in this time and with where we’re at, to be able to not only be a package deal, but to have the freedom to write songs on the beach, or write songs in the mountains, and do collaborations when it worked, and solo projects when it fits — and when our heart is telling us to.”
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While FGL still has a large fan base and landed a No. 1 single this past spring, “Life Rolls On” was their first album not to top the Billboard country chart (it peaked at No. 3). Their recent collaboration with Nelly, “Lil Bit,” was a pop hit, but their lowest-charting country radio single ever, peaking in the low 40s this summer. The duo has been around long enough to understand the cyclical nature of things in Nashville; like any longtime band, their momentum has slowed. Listeners eventually crave new sounds, different styles and swagger. Fresh perspectives are overdue, especially in an industry that clings to the status quo.
And while the duo said covid-19 was the reason for canceling their fall tour, Bob Lefsetz’s widely read music industry newsletter offered a more blunt assessment: “They canceled because they didn’t sell any tickets. Covid was just a cover-up. Crowdsourcing, i.e. my readers, hipped me to this.” (Live Nation did not return a request for comment.)
In the meantime, Kelley has launched a stage musical with his production company called “May We All,” based on the FGL song of the same name. He released an EP in April (“BK’s Wave Pack”) and followed that up with a full Florida-inspired album in June, called “Sunshine State of Mind,” signing with a new manager for his solo act.
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Hubbard kept writing songs of his own as well, posting photos on Instagram as he works with other Nashville writers and artists. In January, he released a collaboration with Tim McGraw called “Undivided,” about how everyone needs to stop hating each other and come together as one country. They performed the song at President Biden’s inaugural concert.
At their CMA appearance in November, the duo made a strong case that everything’s fine.
“We’re finally going to be out playing some real shows next year,” Kelley said.
“I cannot wait. We missed you guys,” Hubbard added.
To confirm, in case anyone missed it: Florida Georgia Line may not be the same, but they’re ready to move on, together.
Read more:
Florida Georgia Line: The duo changing country music one party song at a time
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