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For nearly a decade, Florida Georgia Line dominated country radio, delivering era-defining hits and becoming one of the genre’s most successful crossover acts. So when the duo announced an indefinite hiatus in 2022, fans immediately assumed there had been behind-the-scenes drama.
According to Tyler Hubbard, that assumption misses the mark.
Speaking recently on the Human School Podcast, Hubbard explained that the group’s split stemmed less from conflict and more from a gradual shift in priorities — one that became clear during the pandemic.
At the time, Hubbard said he was dealing with multiple personal pressures: a serious ankle injury, the birth of his third child, and the emotional toll of the world shutting down. During that period, his bandmate Brian Kelley sent him a song he’d written.
Hubbard recalled thinking the track sounded like something Kenny Chesney might record and encouraged Kelley to pitch it. Kelley later told him Chesney passed — and that he took it as a sign to record the song himself.
“That’s when I realized this was more than just an idea,” Hubbard said.
While the duo had previously discussed solo projects, Hubbard said he wasn’t prepared to continue Florida Georgia Line while directly competing with his own bandmate.
“I’m not willing to do Florida Georgia Line and then have a direct competitor that’s my partner doing the same exact thing,” he explained. “I also told him, ‘I don’t think I deserve 50% of you if I’m willing to give a hundred.’”
Kelley ultimately chose to move forward on his own, and with that decision, Florida Georgia Line quietly came to an end.
Despite years of fan speculation, Hubbard emphasized there was no feud behind the split.
“There’s not a good guy or bad guy — which everyone wants to do on the internet,” he said. “He stuck to his convictions… and I set a boundary.”
SOURCE: Taste Of Country