Florida Georgia Line fans are questioning whether Brian Kelley is throwing shade at his former bandmate Tyler Hubbard.
After Kelley, 38, released his new single “Kiss My Boots” on Wednesday, March 6, the lyrics quickly became a topic of conversation as listeners analyzed the lines about Kelley being wronged by someone and “throwin’ dirt” on his name.
“Want the world to know that you did me wrong / I don’t know how you act sweet, after how you did me / Here’s a middle finger to you through a song,” he sang on the track.
The music video also seemed to hint at a feud as Kelley hunted a snake. The last shot is a close-up of his belt, which read “Florida.” Fans are familiar with Kelley representing the Florida aspect of Florida Georgia Line while Hubbard, 37, represented “Georgia.”
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Kelley’s solo career comes after he and Hubbard took a hiatus from their country band Florida Georgia Line. They founded their duo in 2010 and released four albums before sparking rumors of a rift over political differences.
“I unfollowed BK for a few days while we were through this political, you know, in the middle of this election and everything going on,” Hubbard said on SiriusXM’s Exit 209 in 2020. “And, and 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 stories right now. So I’m just going to, 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.”
After releasing their fifth album in 2021, the musicians confirmed they were taking a break.
“We’ve got, I think at this point, 10 or 11 more shows this year. We’re taking a break after that, so if you want to see us, this is the year to do it,” he said during a May 2022 radio interview. “I don’t know after that what the plan is. It’s not clear to me. At the end of the day, we’re brothers, so we’ll always have each other‘s back and support, and that’s what it should be.”
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Their last Florida Georgia Line took place at the Minnesota State Fair.
“You’ve enabled us to chase this crazy dream of writing songs and playing shows and hoping somebody will show up to listen, so thank you, guys. It means the world to us,” Hubbard told the crowd in 2022 while calling the performance “the closing of an incredible, incredible chapter” for himself and Kelley. “It’s very exciting for us to look at what’s ahead, see what’s next. And the next chapter ahead is very exciting, but we wanna celebrate this chapter with you guys.”
While Kelley hasn’t explicitly commented on the speculation about “Kiss My Boots” lyrics, he recently said it was “healing” getting to write the track.
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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 stated 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 journey to release “Kiss My Boots” started after a mental health coach advised him to “take the high road” after an “extremely difficult, hurtful, and confusing” time in his life.
“So as hard as it was in those moments to take the high road, I took her advice and I sat back and ‘ate my popcorn,’” he wrote via Instagram earlier this month. “Everyone processes differently. I went inward. And it came out in a song. Now it’s time for y’all to get your popcorn.”
