It was the Instagram unfollow heard ‘round the country music world. In 2020, at the height of a truly chaotic election season, fans noticed something weird. Tyler Hubbard’s wife, Hayley, had unfollowed Brian Kelley. Then Tyler unfollowed Brian. In the hyper-analyzed world of celebrity social media, that’s basically the equivalent of throwing a brick through someone’s window. People immediately started asking the same question: did Florida Georgia Line break up because of politics? The answer isn't a simple yes or no. It's messier.
They were the kings of "Bro-Country." For a decade, you couldn't turn on a radio without hearing about "Cruise" or "H.O.L.Y." They sold out stadiums. They made millions. But behind the scenes, the friction between Tyler and Brian had been building for years. Politics didn't necessarily build the fire, but it certainly acted like a massive bucket of gasoline dumped right on the embers.
The 2020 Flashpoint
To understand why everyone thinks politics killed FGL, you have to look at the climate of November 2020. The United States was incredibly divided. Brian Kelley was vocal about his frustrations regarding lockdowns and the political state of the country. Tyler Hubbard, on the other hand, was taking a different public stance.
The "unfollowing" happened right around the time Tyler and Hayley Hubbard expressed support for the Biden-Harris ticket, while Brian Kelley was seen as leaning much further to the right, often criticizing government overreach during the pandemic.
People took sides. Instantly.
Tyler eventually addressed the Instagram drama during an appearance on SiriusXM’s Exit 209 with Storme Warren. He admitted he unfollowed Brian for a few days because he didn't want to see certain things on his feed. He called it a "temporary break" from the noise. He tried to downplay it. He said they were still brothers. But the public didn't really buy the "all is well" narrative. When you've spent ten years glued at the hip, a "temporary break" from a social media feed feels like the beginning of the end.
Was it just the politics, though?
Honestly, probably not.
If you look at the trajectory of successful duos—The Louvin Brothers, The Everly Brothers, Simon & Garfunkel—they almost always blow up. Being in a duo is hard. It’s like a marriage where you also have to agree on business, art, and how much pyro to use on stage.
By the time the political rift became public, Brian Kelley was already itching to do his own thing. He wanted a solo career. He wanted to lean into his "Beach Cowboy" persona. He’s always been the one who seemed a bit more tied to his Florida roots, whereas Tyler was pivoting toward a more polished, pop-leaning Nashville sound.
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The political disagreement was just the first time the public saw the cracks.
In 2021, they released Life Rolls On. It was their fifth studio album. They went on a press tour and insisted they weren't breaking up. They called it a "pivot." They said they were going to do solo projects and then come back together. But the body language was off. You could feel the distance in the interviews.
The Final Bow at Minnesota State Fair
The end finally came in August 2022. It wasn't a big, dramatic press release. It was a final show at the Minnesota State Fair.
There were no tears on stage. No long, emotional speeches about their decade of dominance. They played the hits, thanked the fans, and walked off in opposite directions. It was clinical. It felt like two guys who had finished a long shift at a job they didn't really like anymore.
Since then, they haven't really looked back.
Tyler Hubbard has found massive success as a solo artist. His song "5 Foot 9" went straight to number one. He’s touring with Keith Urban and Kane Brown. He seems happy. He’s leaned into a radio-friendly, upbeat brand of country that fits perfectly into the current Nashville machine.
Brian Kelley moved back to Florida. He released Sunshine State of Mind. He opened a shop. He’s doing things on his own terms. His music is more niche, more focused on that coastal, laid-back vibe.
What most people get wrong about the split
The biggest misconception is that one single tweet or one single vote ended Florida Georgia Line. That’s rarely how these things work.
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In reality, the did Florida Georgia Line break up because of politics debate is a proxy for a larger conversation about creative control. When Tyler Hubbard spoke to People magazine later on, he mentioned that they had reached a point where they were "not on the same page" creatively and personally.
Politics was the symptom, not the disease.
The "disease" was a lack of shared vision. When you’re 25 and just want to drink beer and sing about trucks, it’s easy to get along. When you’re in your 30s, with families and established worldviews and millions of dollars in the bank, those small differences in personality become giant chasms.
Comparing the solo paths
- Tyler Hubbard: Followed the "Pop-Country" blueprint. He kept the FGL momentum by working with the same hit-making songwriters and staying within the lane that made the duo famous. He’s the commercial winner of the breakup so far.
- Brian Kelley: Chose the "Outlaw/Independent" route. He’s less concerned with Billboard charts and more concerned with his specific brand. He’s even hinted in some lyrics and interviews that he felt stifled in the duo.
There is a clear divide in how they’ve handled the aftermath. Tyler is diplomatic. He talks about "growth" and "seasons." Brian has been a bit more pointed. In early 2024, Brian released a song called "Kiss Just Me," which many fans interpreted as a dig at his former partner. He also made comments on social media about "integrity" and "loyalty" that didn't take a genius to decode.
The E-E-A-T Perspective: What the industry says
Industry insiders in Nashville—folks who hang out at the bars on Music Row—will tell you that the tension was an open secret long before the 2020 election. There were rumors about disagreements over publishing splits and who was doing the heavy lifting in the studio.
Country music historian Kyle Coroneos, who runs Saving Country Music, has often pointed out that the duo's brand of "Bro-Country" was naturally reaching its expiration date. The genre was moving toward the "Neo-Traditionalism" of Luke Combs and Morgan Wallen. FGL was a product of the 2010s. Even if they had been best friends who agreed on every political candidate, they likely would have struggled to stay relevant in the 2020s without a massive reinvention.
Can they ever reunite?
Never say never in the music business. Money talks.
But right now? It looks unlikely.
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There is a genuine coldness there. When asked about a reunion, both have given variations of the "I'm focused on my solo career" answer. It lacks the warmth you see when bands like Brooks & Dunn or Sugarland take a break.
The political divide might have been the catalyst for the public to notice the split, but the breakup was inevitable. It was a classic case of two people growing apart in every possible direction—musically, socially, and ideologically.
How to process the FGL legacy
If you're a fan who’s still bummed out about the split, the best thing to do is look at it as a closed chapter. They gave the world a specific sound that defined an entire decade of country music. They changed the way Nashville looked at production and crossover appeal.
Key Takeaways for Fans:
- Don't blame one person. It takes two people to build a band and two people to break it.
- Acknowledge the timing. 2020 was a pressure cooker for everyone. Being in a high-profile business partnership during that time was a recipe for disaster.
- Follow the solo music. If you liked the high-energy, catchy side of FGL, Tyler Hubbard's solo records are basically FGL 2.0. If you liked the "Hickindie" or coastal vibes, Brian Kelley is your guy.
- Watch the charts. The fact that both men are still working and successful suggests that the breakup was actually the healthiest thing for them individually, even if it hurt the "brand."
The story of Florida Georgia Line is a reminder that even the most successful partnerships are fragile. Sometimes, the world changes, you change, and the only thing left to do is "Cruise" off into the sunset on your own.
The politics didn't "break" them—they were already breaking. The politics just made it impossible to ignore the sound of the glass shattering.
Next Steps for Understanding the FGL Split
To get the full picture beyond the headlines, you should listen to Tyler Hubbard's self-titled debut album and Brian Kelley's Sunshine State of Mind back-to-back. The sonic differences between those two projects tell you more about why they broke up than any political tweet ever could. One is polished Nashville gold; the other is a literal love letter to a specific lifestyle. When you hear the gap between those two sounds, you realize they weren't just voting for different people—they were living in different worlds.