Why Did Tyler Hubbard and Brian Kelly Choose to Go Solo After Florida Georgia Line’s Success? Insights Revealed

After 12 years of making music together, producing multiple chart-topping hits, and winning numerous awards as the country duo Florida Georgia Line, Tyler Hubbard and Brian Kelley recently decided to disband and focus on solo endeavors. In this article we talk about Why Did Tyler Hubbard and Brian Kelly Choose to Go Solo After Florida Georgia Line’s Success.

Their breakthrough 2012 debut single “Cruise” skyrocketed Florida Georgia Line to stardom, making country music history by spending a record 24 weeks at number one on Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart. It became the bestselling digital country track of all time, going 11x platinum. Follow-up singles like “Get Your Shine On,” “Round Here,” and “Stay” continued their hot streak, cementing Florida Georgia Line as bonafide country superstars.

Over their decade-plus career, the duo released four studio albums, achieved eight number one singles, and sold nearly 30 million tracks and more than 4.5 million albums worldwide. They headlined multiple tours, won two American Music Awards, and most recently, garnered their fifth career Grammy nomination.

Why Tyler Hubbard and Brian Kelley Parted Ways Creatively

Given Florida Georgia Line’s immense success, many fans were shocked when Tyler and Brian announced their decision to pursue solo work in early 2022. So why did country music’s hottest duo split after so many fruitful years together?

During a recent podcast appearance, Tyler shed some light on the breakup. He explained that while he was initially surprised by Brian’s desire to go solo, he understood and respected his partner’s wishes.

“I thought we were going to ride this out a lot longer than we did,” Tyler admitted. However, he recognized Brian’s need to explore his own path: “I think Brian just wanted to do his own thing–and you gotta respect that.”

Rather than viewing it negatively, Tyler framed the split as an opportunity for growth:

“It really does feel like a kind of divorce and it forces growth…you really have to figure out who you are at the core and what you want to say.”

For Brian’s part, he spoke on the difficult decision in an interview last year:

“It was really important to me to follow my heart and chase this vision I have stirring inside of me,” he shared. “This is what I feel like I need to do.”

The Challenges of Rebuilding Solo Careers

Of course, dismantling country music’s biggest duo in recent memory in pursuit of solo careers is not without its challenges. Tyler compared starting over to getting “thrown into the jungle without a knife.”

After years of having a reliable partner to lean on, both musicians recognized they would have to put themselves fully out there alone.

“When you’re splitting up a duo, it’s really tough. You’ve got one name that’s kind of selling tickets and streaming music and you’ve got to rebuild that. It’s not easy,” Tyler noted.

However, he seems to have embraced the difficulties with optimism about what lies ahead, viewing it as an opportunity for reinvention.

Tyler and Brian’s Individual Journeys So Far

Since announcing their separation in early 2022, both Tyler and Brian have continued planting seeds for their budding solo careers.

Tyler has released back-to-back tracks “5 Foot 9” and “Dancin’ In The Country,” offering fans a small preview of his forthcoming solo album. The songs’ commercial country-pop sounds stay mostly true to Florida Georgia Line’s musical style.

Meanwhile, Brian took to Instagram last spring to update fans on his album’s progress, which he described as music true to his core and roots.

“I have felt the calling to share some truth through my story and music that hopefully inspires others to live theirs,” he wrote. “It’s just the intro into this new chapter with so much more to come.”

His solo single “Party By The Fire” dropped in September, offering a beachy, playful tune blending country, pop, and electronic dance influences. An album titled Tennessee Truth is due out later this year.

The Outlook on a Possible Reunion

While both musicians are currently focused on making their own marks separately, longtime fans probably still wonder if Florida Georgia Line might reunite at some point down the road.

According to Tyler, the door is not permanently shut. Although he believes “the best way for Florida Georgia Line to come back around is to pursue individual interests,” he did not rule out collaborating again someday.

Tyler even hinted the two have already discussed reuniting eventually if they feel called to do so. For now, both artists seem to be relishing their creative freedom and new ventures after years of sticking to the established Florida Georgia Line formula.

The next era of their careers apart will demonstrate how they progress as they find their own voices. And who knows – their solo stars rising independently could one day realign Florida Georgia Line. I sincerely hope you find this “Why Did Tyler Hubbard and Brian Kelly Choose to Go Solo After Florida Georgia Line’s Success? Insights Revealed” article helpful.