Florida Georgia Line's breakup has been a mystery to fans since they announced a "break" in 2022.
Leading up to the unofficial announcement, there were a few public factors that signaled that the duo may not have been getting along. Among one of the most prominent theories was that their difference in political beliefs had driven a wedge in their partnership.
The pair recently appeared on Barstool's Bussin' With The Boys podcast to share their side of the story. Hubbard appeared first, on an episode recorded in March. However, after Kelley heard the episode, he asked if he could share his perspective.
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During the interview, they both discussed if it was really politics that got in the way of their working relationship.
"The political narrative came out that me and him were so different, polarizing politically," Hubbard reveals. "A lot of people had these false narratives about why this was even happening because we weren't super up front with the fans from the beginning. That was also a little unfortunate."
He went on to say that "you can't control what people are thinking or saying, so you just gotta ride with it and stick to your truth and let it be."
Kelley also recounted the story, which occurred at the height of the 2020 election. Hubbard and his wife had unfollowed him and his wife after they were posting content that opposed Joe Biden's supporters.
"I've read a lot and people have said it was political, but really the public issues started, I believe it was right after the election in 2020," Kelley shared. "He and his wife had unfollowed us and I'm not exaggerating, he got on - you can go look up the videos - but he said, 'BK's posting some stuff, some political stuff, and I didn't want to see it.'"
When Hubbard announced that he chose to unfollow him on social media, he stated that he liked Kelley a lot more in person and on his social media, insisting that it was "nothing personal."
"That caught me off guard, as well, for my brother to have those thoughts and feelings," Kelley went on to reveal. "So that was the first kind of thing that happened publicly so people... I can see how they started framing that."
While it may not have fully been a political fight, a certain political event definitely played a role in their divide. Kelley said that Hubbard's "Undivided" duet with Tim McGraw caught him "off guard," especially when it was performed at the 2021 inauguration. He claims he was instructed that no solo music was permitted to be released until their FGL record was out.
"To be honest with you, I was just a little caught off guard because I was told - and I was on board with this - that no solo music comes out before the FGL record," Kelley says. "So I was all on board, and to get a call saying he's going to make a very visible statement and performance before the record and then go right to radio, you know, definitely a little caught off guard."
When asked about what really drove them apart, Hubbard says that Kelley's desire for more of a solo career is what jumpstarted the breakup.
"[Brian] definitely initiated the whole thing from the beginning and it kinda - when I say it caught me off guard - it wasn't that we had never mentioned it before, it's just one of those things where I didn't think anything was going to happen then, you know what I mean?"
Kelley does confirm that he wanted to write more music for himself, but maintained that he was still interested in keeping FGL alive.
"There's gonna be songs over the years that, just being a songwriter, I'm gonna write that aren't gonna fit the brand of FGL," Kelley stated. "It was important for me to continue to honor my craft, my artistry, my songwriting."
Their personal and business relationship does not seem to be getting better, especially after their Nashville bar closed unexpectedly earlier this week. Neither of the singers have addressed the bar's shuttering on social media.
