Brian Kelley of Florida Georgia Line duo announces 'Make America Great Again' solo single
One-half of Florida Georgia Line wants to "Make America Great Again."
Brian Kelley, who was a member of the hit country duo "FGL" for over a decade, announced the new song and performed at the 2024 Republican National Convention this week, singing alongside the Holy Redeemer Church of God in Christ Choir. The song is seemingly inspired by former President Donald Trump's signature campaign slogan.
In an Instagram post Friday, the "Cruise" country singer said he wrote the song as a "concerned, real American" on July 7 "just about a week before the failed assassination attempt on @realdonaldtrump and after processing that event and being fed up with the current state of America I decided I need to get this out ASAP."
He continued: "I do not pander, and I will never waver. I’m proud to honor my voice, and give a voice and anthem to those who feel the exact same way. Stand up with me," adding that "no matter what side you fall on or in the middle, Let’s be respectful."
Why did Florida Georgia Line split up?Tyler Hubbard and Brian Kelley share new details in podcast, 'It felt like a divorce'
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Tyler Hubbard, Brian Kelley's bandmate, previously unfollowed him during 2020 election
In November 2020, the same month as former President Donald Trump lost the 2020 election, fans noticed that Kelley's group member Tyler Hubbard had "unfollowed" his bandmate on Instagram, leading to split speculation.
"I unfollowed BK for a few days while we were...in the middle of this election and everything going on," Hubbard said on SiriusXM’s "Exit 209 with Storme Warren."
"I even called him and told him. I said, ‘Hey buddy, I love you. And I love you a lot more in real life than on your (Instagram) stories right now. So that's why I'm unfollowing you. Nothing personal. I still love you. You're still my brother.’ I just didn't want to see it every time I opened Instagram. And so it wasn't a big deal."
Kelley met Hubbard in 2008 at Belmont University in Nashville, Tennessee and they decided to become a country duo, "Florida Georgia Line" and performed together until the duo's last concert in September 2022 at the Minnesota State Fair.
But later, the pair truly did split. This May, new details emerged about the band's ending as both appeared on separate episodes of the "Bussin' With the Boys' podcast with Will Compton and Taylor Lewan.
On a May 7 episode, Hubbard confirmed again that the "unexpected" split was initiated by Kelley.
"BK came to me and said, 'Man I'm really feeling like I want to do the solo thing,' and I'm like really?" said Hubbard. "We were just getting out of our first deal, we were kind of in a sweet spot that we had worked for 10 years to get to."
Contributing: Dave Pauslon, Diana Leyva