The Real Reasons Why Florida Georgia Line Broke Up

Former Florida Georgia Line members Brian Kelley and Tyler Hubbard are finally opening up about why they broke up in 2021, and whether or not they'll do a reunion tour in the future.

The country duo shot to stardom in 2012, and after their fourth studio album, Can't Say I Ain't Country, dropped in 2019, the world was their oyster. However, the duo fizzled before their fifth album, Life Rolls On, arrived in 2021.

Both Kelley and Hubbard opted to pursue their own solo careers; however, they never really publicly addressed what the future of FGL would be. Now, it sounds like the duo may never get back together.

Recently, both singer-songwriters stopped by the Bussin' With the Boys podcast and opened up about what happened between the two of them. Hubbard appeared on the podcast first, and after Kelley heard the interview, he asked if he could share his side as well.

What Happened With Florida Georgia Line?

In January 2021, the duo shared a video on social media announcing they would be pursuing individual projects. They stopped short of explaining what brought them to that decision and instead left an opening for FGL to return in the future.

Now, more than three years later, it sounds like the distance between the two has only grown.

How Did the Breakdown of FGL Start?

Hubbard explains to the podcast that the breakdown began when Kelley approached him about a solo career.

"For me, it was really unexpected," he shares. "But BK came to me and said, 'Man, I'm really feeling like I want to do a solo thing.'"

"We were just getting out of our first deal," he continues. "We were kind of in a sweet spot we'd worked for 10 years to get to and I'm like, 'Bro, why don't we just ride this thing out for five more years, ten more years and then we can do the solo thing.'"

"But he definitely initiated the whole thing from the beginning and it kinda — when I say it caught me off guard — it wasn't that we had never mentioned it before, it's just one of those things where I didn't think anything was going to happen then, you know what I mean?" Hubbard explains.

Kelley says the conversations about solo projects started years ago.

"We've had the conversation of having extra outlets since 2016, and then every two years after that," he counters. "I had voiced that I obviously want to keep doing FGL, but for me, in my off time when songwriters and creatives are alone, you find even more of yourself."

"And there's gonna be songs over the years that, just being a songwriter, I'm gonna write that aren't gonna fit the brand of FGL," he continues. "It was important for me to continue to honor my craft, my artistry, my songwriting."

Did Political Differences Split Up Florida Georgia Line?

Because Florida Georgia Line hasn't talked about the reason for their split, the rumor mill has been churning. Since the struggles began to become public at the height of 2020, many believed it was a political difference the two couldn't reconcile.

"The political narrative came out that me and him were so different, polarizing politically," Hubbard reveals. "A lot of people had these false narratives about why this was even happening because we weren't super up front with the fans from the beginning. That was also a little unfortunate."

"You can't control what people are thinking or saying, so you just gotta ride with it and stick to your truth and let it be," he adds.

"I've read a lot and people have said it was political, but really the public issues started, I believe it was right after the election in 2020," Kelley explains. "He and his wife had unfollowed us and I'm not exaggerating, he got on — you can go look up the videos — but he said, 'BK's posting some stuff, some political stuff, and I didn't want to see it.'"

"And he told me he liked me better in person than he did online," he continues. "That caught me off guard, as well, for my brother to have those thoughts and feelings. So that was the first kind of thing that happened publicly so people... I can see how they started framing that."

Kelley also shared there was a miscommunication about when the pair would release solo projects. He said the initial conversation began in September 2020, with the understanding that any efforts to go solo would be kept under wraps until their fifth studio album dropped in February 2021.

In January 2021, Hubbard released a collaboration with Tim McGraw titled "Undivided." which the two sang at President Biden's inauguration.

"To be honest with you, I was just a little caught off guard because I was told — and I was on board with this — that no solo music comes out before the FGL record," Kelley says. "So I was all on board, and to get a call saying he's going to make a very visible statement and performance before the record and then go right to radio, you know, definitely a little caught off guard."

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Brian Kelley and Tyler Hubbard Went to Therapy

In an effort to keep the band going, Kelley and Hubbard attended therapy together.

"There were definitely some weeks of healing. We had talks with therapists and life coaches and we've kind of sussed it all out," Hubbard shares.

“It was just a little bit of a grind to try to find a place that we can meet in the middle and understand each other, but it just never got to that place," Kelley admits.

Will Florida Georgia Line Reunite?

Despite the separation, it doesn't sound like the two have ruled out a reunion.

"It's really hard to say," Hubbard explains. "I'll never say never, but a lot of stuff would have to change to be honest."

"A lot of dynamics would have to — there'd have to be some real long open conversations and some healing would have to be done, for sure, before that would ever happen," he adds.

“You never know, man," Kelley says. "I mean, look at the Eagles. There’s lots of groups that have gone through way worse things than we have. At the height of everything, it never was really terrible, just seeing things different."

“I think time will tell," he continues. "I’m really focused on what I’m doing now. I know he’s really focused — he just dropped an album — and I know he’s putting a lot of hard work into what he’s doing, just as I am. We’ll have to see."

Fans will have to wait and see what will happen next with Florida Georgia Line. The pair last performed together in 2022 after a string of festival appearances. Their bar FGL House in Nashville closed its doors earlier this month without much explanation. There's been no word on what will happen with the duo's other joint business ventures.