Tyler Hubbard is clearing up how he and Brian Kelley roll.
Turns out, Florida Georgia Line’s 2022 split was a lot less contentious than rumors made it seem.
“This only became big and dramatic on the Internet,” Hubbard, 38, said on Wednesday’s episode of the “Human School” podcast. “There’s not a good guy, bad guy in this equation. There’s not a right or a wrong. Everyone wants to do that on the Internet. They want to say, ‘right, wrong, good guy, bad guy. Team BK, Team T-Hub.’ It’s not even like that.”
The singer revealed why he and Kelley, 40, really decided to call it quits in August 2022 after 12 years.
Hubbard explained on the podcast that the band’s other half wanted to pursue a solo career while still performing in Florida Georgia Line. But Hubbard didn’t think Kelley could balance both gigs.
“BK stuck to his convictions and led with his gut and decided to make a decision based on his passion,” the country artist continued. “I set a boundary that I wasn’t willing to cross and it is what it is. We both accepted it way before the internet accepted it.”
Hubbard also recalled the private conversation he and Kelley had before announcing the news publicly.
“We had a really good conversation for, like, an hour. I was able to be really honest. He was able to be really honest,” Hubbard recalled. “He just basically said, ‘Man, I’m really feeling called, like, this is the time for me to do this and I really need your support and want your support.’”
The artist let his former collaborator pick his own path.
“[I said] ‘whatever you ultimately want to do, I want you to be happy and I want you to follow your gut and your heart and if that means not doing this, so be it. But I beg you to reconsider.’ That was not the path I wanted.”
Kelley released his solo album “Sunshine State Of Mind” in June 2021.
A year prior, Hubbard unfollowed Kelley, which sparked concern among fans.
Despite quickly re-following, the internet went into a frenzy.
“I do regret unfollowing BK publicly at one point of this whole scenario because that also fed this narrative and blew this whole thing out of proportion when it was really unnecessary,” he confessed. “That was naive on my behalf and irresponsible and also definitely emotionally charged.”
The fanbase also speculated Hubbard and Kelley’s split had to do with politics as tensions rose during the 2020 election.
“Me and BK and FGL dynamic had not one thing to do with politics,” clarified Hubbard. “But during the political tension — it was around the election — and BK had become very vocal with his political views, even though we had decided way early on in our career that we’re not a political band.”
He noted, “We’re not ever going to talk about politics. Nobody wants to become the Dixie Chicks. Let’s just make music and party. That’s what we do.”
These days, the musicians aren’t as close as they once were.
“I hadn’t spoken to BK a lot in the last couple years, but we’re going on a hike next week,” Hubbard shared. “The way I see it is I have a desire for that friendship. I miss the guy that I was partners with for 10 years. I miss my old roommate, my best man on my wedding.”
He added that there is “nothing” he and Kelley aren’t aligned on “except the fact that he thinks we can do both [solo careers and Florida Georgia Line] and I don’t think we can.”
