Florida Georgia Line made their reunion official last week at CMA Fest. After months of hinting at a reconciliation, Brian Kelley and Tyler Hubbard stood on stage at Nissan Stadium and hollered “We back baby!”
Thursday’s (June 4) declaration was received with tremendous enthusiasm from fans of modern country music. Over two million people watched social videos on Taste of Country Instagram and Facebook, with millions more learning the news from other outlets or channels.
Look for the news to be amplified once more on June 25 when ABC airs highlights of CMA Fest. If FGL were to drop a new single, that would be the day to do it, but don’t hold your breath.
“We back” may mean a full-time reunion is imminent, or Hubbard could have been shouting about the moment, as in “We back” at CMA Fest. There’s some evidence of the former, but more evidence of the latter.
Did Florida Georgia Line Reunite?
Hubbard and Kelley actually played a few events across CMA Fest weekend, but their Nissan Stadium appearance is what’s stealing headlines. Social media graphics and billboards that read “FGL LFG” teased this, but Hubbard said something far more compelling last May at the ACM Awards.
“We have been toying around and flirting with the idea of playing a handful of shows next year, and that gets us both excited,” he told ET.
Related: Tyler Hubbard Sets the Record Straight On Florida Georgia Line Breakup
At that point, nothing was firm, or even gelatinous.
“It’s been a really fun season of healing…We’ve been hanging out, laughing, cutting up, goofing around, it just feels like the old days,” he said. “We’re just trying to soak it up, make the most of it, not rush anything.”
A Florida Georgia Line Reunion Tour?
That is sound reasoning for a couple reasons. First, FGL hasn’t been split up all that long. Their final show came at the Minnesota State Fair in late summer 2022, which means country fans have only gone three touring seasons without them. They’re not the Eagles. This isn’t Garth Brooks coming out of retirement.
Jason Kempin, Getty Images
It’s a very popular 2010s country duo with a catalog not quite old enough to wax nostalgia. During a normal year, that would be enough to sell out amphitheaters but …
2026 is not a normal year. It’s hard out there on those streets. Gas is at or above $4 a gallon, which adds significant expense to any tour. The national economy isn’t peaking, which may mean less disposable money for music pursuits.
Why bet big while facing these headwinds?
It would also be dang near impossible to promote a fall FGL Tour as Hubbard satisfies current solo obligations. He’s also got numerous dates on the calendar plus a gig opening for Dan + Shay starting in September.
Will Florida Georgia Line Release New Music Soon?
Passive country fans may not have even realized FGL split up because it still sounds like they’re releasing new music to country radio on the regular. Hubbard’s easily identifiable voice has maintained their spot on playlists via solo singles.
Since 2022, he’s scored four major hits, including “5 Foot 9” and “Dancin’ In the Country,” and he just released “Land,” a new single from an upcoming project.
We all know FGL is an all or nothing proposition for him. “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 recently told the Human School Podcast.
In 2022, Kelley wanted to go solo but T-Hubb wasn’t here for it.
“I also told him, ‘I don’t think I deserve 50 percent of you if I’m willing to give a hundred.’”
Kelley has also released new solo music (“B-Y-O Beach” with Niko Moon is his latest) but not found the same inroads as his partner. Neither seems to be stifled creatively.
While FGL have signed a management deal with the Core Entertainment, they’re not currently on a record label roster. Additionally, Hubbard told ET there are no plans for an EP or record.
“It hasn’t gotten there yet,” he said in May. “I’m too busy working on my solo stuff at the moment.”
So, What Does “We Back” Mean?
Since “we back!” Florida Georgia Line have made three social media posts (including two with Spotify, which could be telling). Each one celebrated the moment, but nothing offered a clue as to what will come this week or even later this month.
A Las Vegas residency would make a lot of sense for Florida Georgia Line, but absent that “We back, baby” likely means it’s going to take a minute for everyone to decide the timing of important events and releases.
This is probably good news for fans. FGL were always at their best when things were care-free and loose, or at least they seemed to be. Somewhere between 2018 and 2022 the spirit of “Cruise” left them, which led to a pause. There’s no reason to repeat that.
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Gallery Credit: Billy Dukes
