Fans of the Florida Georgia Line wonder if Brian Kelley casts a shadow on his former bandmate Tyler Hubbard.
After Kelley, 38, released his new single “Kiss My Boots” on Wednesday, March 6, the song’s lyrics quickly became a topic of conversation as listeners analyzed the lines about Kelley being wronged by someone and having “dirt thrown at his name.”
“I want the world to know that you did me wrong / I don’t know how you can be so sweet after what you did to me / Here’s my middle finger to you in a song,” he sang on the track.
The music video also seemed to hint at a feud as Kelley chased a snake. The final shot is a close-up of his belt, which reads “Florida.” Fans know that Kelley represents the Florida aspect of Florida Georgia Line, while Hubbard, 37, represents “Georgia.”
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Kelley’s solo career begins after he and Hubbard took a break from their country band Florida Georgia Line. They formed their duo in 2010 and released four albums before sparking rumors of a split over political differences.
“I unfollowed BK for a couple of days while we were going through this political time, you know, in the middle of this election and everything that’s going on,” Hubbard said on SiriusXM’s Exit 209 in 2020. “And I even called him and told him, ‘Hey buddy, I love you. And I love you way more in real life than I do in your stories right now. So I’m just going to do that, 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 open Instagram. And that’s why it wasn’t a big deal.”
After the release of their fifth album in 2021, the musicians confirmed that they would be taking a break.
“We have, I think, 10 or 11 shows left this year. After that we’re taking a break, so if you want to see us, this year is the year to do it,” he said in a radio interview in May 2022. “I don’t know what the plan is after that. That’s not clear to me. At the end of the day, we’re brothers, so we’ll always support each other and that’s how it should be.”
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Their last Florida Georgia Line was at the Minnesota State Fair.
“You guys have allowed us to pursue this crazy dream of writing songs and playing shows and hoping someone comes along to listen, so thank you guys. It means the world to us,” Hubbard told the audience in 2022, calling the performance “the closing of an incredible, incredible chapter” for himself and Kelley. “It’s very exciting for us to see what’s ahead, to see what’s next. And the next chapter is very exciting, but we want to celebrate that chapter with you guys.”
While Kelley has not explicitly commented on speculation about the lyrics of “Kiss My Boots,” he recently said it was “healing” to be able to write the song.
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“Everyone processes things differently. I went inward. I went to work and stayed busy. I’m proud of myself for doing it that way. It was worth it,” he explained in a press release. “Now I have a song that helped me through a tough time. Hopefully ‘Kiss My Boots’ can help a lot of people. Give them some confidence and help them get their power back.”
According to Kelley, the road to releasing “Kiss My Boots” began after a psychologist advised him to “take the honorable route” following an “extremely difficult, painful and confusing” time in his life.
“As hard as it was for me to follow the rules in those moments, I took her advice, sat back, and ate my popcorn,” he wrote on Instagram earlier this month. “Everyone processes things differently. I went inside. And it came out in a song. Now it’s time for y’all to get your popcorn.”
