The smile says it all. The two halves of Florida Georgia Line just shared a stage for the first time in nearly four years, and they couldn’t have looked happier about it.
The moment came at a celebration of Jason Aldean‘s career and catalog of hits. Hubbard, Kelly, Morgan Wallen and Jordan Schmidt wrote “You Make It Easy,” a No. 1 song for Aldean in 2018. That’s the song FGL chose for a reunion.
“Man, it feels good to be here tonight,” Hubbard says. “It feels good to be here with my brother.”
Kelley is standing to Hubbard’s right with an ear-to-ear grin on his face. The moment is a snapshot of what their friendship once looked like.
READ MORE: Top 20 Country Music Duos, Ranked
Why Did Florida Georgia Line Break Up?
In a sense, FGL broke up on two different levels. The duo split in 2022 after Kelley began to pursue solo projects more aggressively than Hubbard was comfortable with.
Talking to the Human School Podcast, Hubbard recalls telling Kelley, “‘I don’t think I deserve 50 percent of you if I’m willing to give a hundred.’”
Their longtime friendship fractured as well.
Neither has really commented on why they stopped hanging out, but in that same interview, Hubbard admits the stress of fatherhood and the pandemic weighed heavy on him. He unfollowed Kelley on social media at one point, which many felt was because he disagreed with his partner on political issues.
Florida Georgia Line were best friends from Belmont University when the song “Cruise” began to explode in 2012. It seemed like an easy friendship throughout the first half of their career. Things definitely changed.
Are Florida Georgia Line Reuniting?
Plans for a professional reunion have not been announced, but there certainly seems to be momentum. On a personal level, Hubbard and Kelley have begun to repair their relationship.
During that same podcast interview, Hubbard shared that he and Kelley had not talked much in recent years.
“I miss the guy I was partners with for 10 years,” he says. “I miss my old roommate, my best man at my wedding — and if nothing else, we should have a relationship.”
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An early January hike allowed the men to clear the air, if needed. Now they’re on the stage again, looking like they really want to be around each other.
Only time will tell if they’ll record or tour together. Country fans are familiar with this story arc to the point that both feel inevitable.
As with most breakups (Sugarland, Brooks & Dunn, Rascal Flatts), this split came during as they began to struggle to turn singles into hits. Efforts to revive a once unstoppable country music machine will need to focus on reminding fans why they loved Florida Georgia Line not in 2022, but five years earlier before they began to struggle.
Top 20 Country Music Duos, Ranked!
Find that duo at No. 1 but, but learn about many more from the 1960s, ’70s, ’80s, ’90s and 2000s before you get there. This list of country music’s top duos focuses on artists who broke as a duo, not solo artists who came together for an album or series of projects after enjoying commercial success. Contemporary artists are mixed with legends and Country Music Hall of Famers throughout this list. How do you feel about our Top 20?
Gallery Credit: Billy Dukes
