“IT WAS JUST ONE TEXT.” — How Tyler Hubbard, a Single Message, and a Kenny Chesney Song Quietly Closed the Book on Florida Georgia Line

Florida Georgia Line ruled country radio for nearly a decade, becoming one of the genre’s biggest crossover acts with hits like “Cruise” and “This Is How We Roll.”

But in 2022, the duo — made up of Tyler Hubbard and Brian Kelley — shocked fans and the music industry by announcing an “indefinite hiatus.”

Now, after years of rumors, Hubbard is revealing what really led to the end of Florida Georgia Line — and why it wasn’t the dramatic falling-out many assumed.

A Shift During the Pandemic

In a recent episode of the Human School Podcast, Hubbard opened up about the turning point in his professional relationship with Kelley.

During the pandemic, Hubbard said his personal life was under major strain. His wife had just given birth to their third child, he was recovering from an ankle injury, and the emotional weight of the world shutting down was heavy.

That’s when he got a surprising text from Kelley — a new song he’d written. Hubbard thought it sounded like something Kenny Chesney might cut and encouraged him to pitch it.

“He said, ‘Well, I did actually send it to Chesney. And he passed on it, which I’m taking as a sign.’ I said, ‘A sign for what?’ And he said, ‘That I should do it.’”

Though solo careers had been mentioned before, Hubbard says he didn’t expect Kelley to be serious about it. Still, he says he supported the idea — up to a point.

“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.

Read More: Tyler + Brian’s Bond Broke When FGL Ended — Now, There’s Hope for Healing

“I also told him, ‘I don’t think I deserve 50 percent of you if I’m willing to give a hundred.’” Ultimately, Kelley decided to pursue a solo career — and Florida Georgia Line quietly came to an end.

No Bad Blood

While fans speculated about drama behind the scenes, Hubbard says it was never about that.

Vinyl Records

“There’s not a good guy, bad guy — which everyone wants to do on the internet,” he said. “He stuck to his convictions… I set a boundary.”

He does admit he made some missteps — including unfollowing Kelley on Instagram — and says the public pressure only made an already delicate situation more complicated.

“When it happens publicly, and you get millions of people weighing in, it compounds the stress,” Hubbard said.

A Reunion on the Horizon?

Earlier this year, fans got a surprise when Deep Cuts & Lost Tracks, Vol. 1, an EP of previously released Florida Georgia Line songs, quietly dropped on streaming services — sparking reunion rumors.

Hubbard hasn’t commented on whether there are any new music plans for the duo, and the EP did not include any re-recordings.

Vinyl Records

PICTURES: See the Nastiest Band Breakups in Country Music History

Country music is a little more polite in public than some genres, but that doesn’t mean the gloves don’t come off in private. We tend to assume all of our favorite country artists are good friends with their bandmates, but when they go their separate ways, sometimes the truth turns out to be very different.

Gallery Credit: Sterling Whitaker

Rick Diamond, Getty Images

Brooks & Dunn Break Up

Brooks & Dunn appeared to be as close as brothers during their commercial run together, and they stunned the country world when they abruptly announced their breakup in 2009. The duo admitted later that they’d had friction for years, to the point where they had recorded separately for albums and entertained the possibility of calling it quits years earlier. They gave their fans a farewell tour, but Ronnie Dunn confessed that he was ready to walk away without doing it. After years apart and several solo projects, the duo reunited in 2015 for a series of Vegas shows with Reba McEntire.

Jason Merritt / Ryan Miller, Getty Images

Dolly Parton Leaves Porter Wagoner

They were successful together in the ’60s and ’70s, but when Dolly Parton left Porter Wagoner’s band in 1974 (after writing “I Will Always Love You” for him), he filed a breach of contract lawsuit. Later, Parton revealed that things were often tense, citing what she says was his chauvinism. They reconciled before Wagoner died in 2007.

Frederick M. Brown, Getty Images

Kristen Hall Leaves Sugarland

Sugarland originally consisted of three members when they hit it big in 2005, but by the next year Kristen Hall had departed for unspecified reasons. In 2008 she filed a $1.5 million lawsuit against her former bandmates, claiming that she had been unfairly deprived of money owing to her. That lawsuit was settled out of court in 2010, and the terms are undisclosed.

RCA Records

Mark Herndon Departs Alabama

Drummer Mark Herndon joined Alabama a year before they hit it big, and he stayed with them until their farewell tour in 2003-2004. In his autobiography, he reveals that he was never a full profit participant in the group, and was paid as little as $45,000 during some of their peak years. Alabama sued him in 2008, claiming overpayment of royalties from the farewell tour, and in 2013 singer Randy Owen disavowed him in an interview, brushing him off as a sideman.

Frazer Harrison, Getty Images

Heidi Newfield Leaves Trick Pony

Trick Pony scored a major hit in 2000 with their debut single, “Pour Me,” but by 2006 the relationships in the trio were strained, and singer Heidi Newfield departed. She later said her bandmates would not speak to her while they toured to fulfill their obligations. The trio found a new singer, while she went on to a solo career. In 2013 the trio reunited for a one-off show, and in 2014 the original lineup announced new music and a tour. Ira Dean left just months later, and Trick Pony continued as a duo for a new EP titled Pony Up.

Keystone, Getty Images

The Everly Brothers Break Up

The Everly Brothers were one of the most important acts of the early rock era, and helped bring the country and rock genres together with a string of iconic hit singles. Offstage they battled frequently, and in 1973 their differences came to a head onstage. In one of the most famous breakups in history, Don Everly smashed his guitar and walked offstage during a show, bringing the duo to an end. Despite periodic brief reunions, the brothers were still estranged at the time of Phil Everly’s death in 2014.