Tyler Hubbard hinted that it wasn’t his decision for Florida Georgia Line to come to an end.
“For me, it was really unexpected,” Hubbard, 37, said on the Tuesday, May 7, episode of the “Bussin’ With the Boys” podcast, claiming former bandmate Brian Kelley was “adamant” about going their separate ways.
Hubbard recalled his conversation with Kelley, 38, who was interested in taking his career in a new direction.
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“But BK came to me and said, ‘Man, I’m really feeling like I want to do a solo thing.’ And I’m like, ‘Really?’ We were just getting out of our first deal,” Hubbard noted. “We were kind of in a sweet spot that we had worked for 10 years to get to.”
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Hubbard remembered trying to convince Kelley to keep Florida Georgia Line going, adding, “I’m like, ‘Why don’t we ride this thing out for, like, five more years, 10 more years, and then we can do the solo thing or whatever.’”
When Kelley didn’t budge, Hubbard ultimately chose to “support” his wishes. “He was adamant, like, ‘Nah, now’s my time. I really need to do this for myself,’” he continued. “And I’m like, ‘Well, hey, whatever you need to do, bro. Like, what do you want from me?’ He’s like, ‘I just want support.’”
Florida Georgia Line was founded in 2010 and released four albums before sparking rumors of a rift over political differences.
Tyler Hubbard and Brian Kelley Jeremy Chan/Getty Images
“I unfollowed BK for a few days while we were through this political, you know, in the middle of this election and everything going on,” Hubbard said on SiriusXM’s Exit 209 in 2020. “And, and I even called him and told him, I said, ‘Hey buddy, I love you. And I love you a lot more in real life than on your Stories right now. So … that’s why I’m unfollowing you. Nothing personal. I still love you. You’re still my brother.’ I just didn’t want to see it every time I opened Instagram. And so it wasn’t a big deal.”
After releasing their fifth album, 2021’s Life Rolls On, the duo confirmed they were taking a break.
“We’ve got, I think at this point, 10 or 11 more shows this year. We’re taking a break after that, so if you want to see us, this is the year to do it,” he said during a May 2022 radio interview. “I don’t know, after that, what the plan is. It’s not clear to me. At the end of the day, we’re brothers, so we’ll always have each other‘s back and support, and that’s what it should be.”
Hubbard and Kelley played their final show together at the Minnesota State Fair in September 2022.
“You’ve enabled us to chase this crazy dream of writing songs and playing shows and hoping somebody will show up to listen, so thank you, guys. It means the world to us,” Hubbard told the crowd while calling the performance “the closing of an incredible, incredible chapter” for himself and Kelley. “It’s very exciting for us to look at what’s ahead, see what’s next. And the next chapter ahead is very exciting, but we wanna celebrate this chapter with you guys.”
While their careers have moved in different directions, Hubbard mentioned on Tuesday that he wasn’t ruling out a reunion someday.
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“Like, we’ve had an incredible ride. This is where it’s going to go. Like, let’s do it and crush it, and you never know. Maybe it’ll bring us back together and we can have a reunion tour or whatever,” he shared. “But [Brian] definitely initiated the whole thing from the beginning and it kind of — when I say caught me off guard, it wasn’t like we had never mentioned it before — it was just one of those things where I didn’t think it was going to happen then, you know what I mean?”
Earlier this year, fans wondered whether Kelley threw shade at his former bandmate in his new single, “Kiss My Boots.” The track, which came out in March, featured lyrics about Kelley being wronged by someone and “throwin’ dirt” on his name.
At the time, Kelley reflected on the “healing” he got to do while writing the song.
“Everyone processes things differently. I went inward. I went to work and stayed busy. I’m proud of myself for doing it that way. It was worth it,” he stated in a press release. “Now I have a song that helped me through a tough time. Hopefully, ‘Kiss My Boots’ can help a lot of people. Give them some confidence and help them get their power back.”
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