The End Of An Era: Florida Georgia Line Plays Emotional Final Concert
“Let’s see what we got left in the tank,” Hubbard told the crowd.
Florida Georgia Line; Photo via CBS/ ACM, Twitter
Florida Georgia Line is officially over.
The award-winning country duo, composed of Tyler Hubbard and Brian Kelley, played their final show together on Wednesday (Aug. 31) at the Minnesota State Fair.
“This is our last official concert as Florida Georgia Line… let’s see what we got left in the tank,” Hubbard told the crowd.
Florida Georgia Line’s final set included performances of “Round Here,” “Up Down,” “I Love My Country,” “This Is How We Roll,” “God, Your Mama, and Me,” “Smooth,” “H.O.L.Y.,” “Long Live,” “Stay,” “May We All,” “Sippin’ On Fire,” “Dirt,” “Confession,” “Anything Goes,” “Simple,” “Get Your Shine On,” “Meant To Be,” “Lil Bit” and “Cruise.”
In the midst of their last official concert as a duo, Hubbard took a moment to reflect on the last 10 years while performing “H.O.L.Y.”
“I just want to take a second because I don’t want this moment to get lost tonight. I want to express our gratitude, from BK and myself, from the bottom of our heart man, for the last 12 years of our life that you guys have allowed us to do what we love,” Hubbard said.
He continued, ”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 man, it really, really means the world to us. I spent a lot of this afternoon thinking about the last ten years and what this night means to us is the closing of an incredible, incredible chapter for us. It’s very exciting for us to look at what’s ahead and see what’s next and the next chapter is very exciting, but we wanna celebrate this chapter with you guys. So tonight, before we move onto the next song, can we sing this chorus one more time together?”
Hubbard then encouraged the crowd to sing along to the chart-topping hit one final time.
“This is going to be the last time you guys get to hear BK and I get to hear you guys sing this, so I want to see how loud you guys could sing this one alright?” Hubbard said before launching into a massive sing-along.
As the evening came to a close, Florida Georgia Line exploded into their Diamond-selling single “Cruise” for one last time.
“What a special night, thank you guys for celebrating with us, BK I love you man,” Hubbard said. “Thanks again, it’s been a special night for us, we love y’all.”
After singing the final lyrics to “Cruise” and graciously thanking fans for the last decade, the pair exited the stage on different sides as the crowd erupted into a lengthy cheer.
The show marked the end of an era for Hubbard and Kelley, who met in 2008 at a weekly student worship service on campus at Belmont University in Nashville.
They later formed Florida Georgia Line and burst onto the country music scene in 2012 with their wildly successful debut single, “Cruise.” They later remixed the track with rapper Nelly and it went on to become the first country single to achieve sales and streams equivalent to 10 million units.
FGL is credited to have started the “bro-country” movement in country music with the release of “Cruise” and other songs like “Get Your Shine On,” “This Is How We Roll,” “Sun Daze,” and “Anything Goes.”
Throughout their career, Florida Georgia Line teamed up with artists like Bebe Rexha (on the 10x Platinum No.1 single, “Meant To Be”), Tim McGraw (on the chart-topping “May We All”), Backstreet Boys (on the No.1 “God, Your Mama, and Me”), and more.
In all, the duo released five studio albums and charted 19 No.1 singles.
Florida Georgia Line won multiple ACM, CMA, CMT, AMA, People’s Choice, and Billboard Awards.
As the duo comes to a close, Tyler Hubbard and Brian Kelley will embark on their solo careers. Kelley launched his solo career with the release of “Beach Cowboy” and he later shared his debut solo album, Sunshine State Of Mind, and signed as a solo artist with Big Machine Label Group.
Meanwhile, Hubbard kicked off his solo career with the release of his debut 6-song EP, Dancin’ In The Country, which includes his first single, “5 foot 9.” The hitmaker will soon hit the road with Keith Urban as direct support on Urban’s Speed Of Now World Tour.
“It’s a really exciting season, the next chapter for BK and myself, to get to kinda get more personal,” Hubbard explained during a recent appearance on the TODAY show.
He said that he and Kelley get to “share our individual stories and our individual songs and kinda relate to the fans on a more personal level. So, it’s very exciting for both of us and it’s gonna be a fun journey, for sure.”
Lauren Jo Black is a longtime country music journalist, editor, host, and media personality whose work has helped shape the conversation around country music for nearly two decades. As the current Editor-in-Chief of Country Now, she has become one of the genre’s most respected voices, interviewing hundreds of country music’s biggest stars, including Dolly Parton, Garth Brooks, Reba McEntire, Shania Twain, Randy Travis, Luke Bryan, Carrie Underwood, Blake Shelton, Luke Combs, and countless others. Over the course of her career, Black’s written work and interviews have reached billions of country music fans worldwide. A 2009 graduate of the University of Central Florida, Black began her career by founding Country Music Is Love, one of country music’s earliest independent digital publications, which she later sold to a major record label in 2015 before it was rebranded as Sounds Like Nashville. She then served as the publication’s Editor-in-Chief for more than two years. Her work has also appeared in Forbes, and she previously served as the Country Music Expert for Answers.com. Widely recognized for her expertise, Black has appeared as a featured guest on The Bobby Bones Show, BobbyCast, and Scripps News Morning Rush, providing insight on country music’s biggest moments. She has also hosted Country Now Live, a concert series featuring performances from artists including Lady A, Dierks Bentley, Riley Green, Jordan Davis, Dustin Lynch, Gabby Barrett, Brett Young, Jon Pardi, Kip Moore, Chris Young, and more. The series has welcomed thousands of fans in person while reaching millions more online. In addition, she hosted Connect With Country Now, a weekly interview series featuring conversations with rising country stars. Throughout her career, Black has earned a reputation for discovering and championing artists long before they become household names. She has covered Luke Bryan since the early days of his career, beginning when he was writing songs for other artists, including Billy Currington’s No. 1 hit “Good Directions,” before stepping into the spotlight with his debut single, “All My Friends Say” and eventually becoming one of biggest names in music. She also gave Megan Moroney her first opportunity to walk a major red carpet as Country Now’s official guest correspondent at the 2022 CMA Awards. An interview she conducted in 2018 for Forbes.com with Luke Combs that inspired his multi-week No. 1 hit, “Doin’ This.” She has also hosted stages at CMA Fest, moderated an industry panel at Country Radio Seminar, and helped lead important conversations about the evolving landscape of country music media. Beyond journalism, Black has also used her platform to support charitable causes and highlight organizations making an impact. Through Country Now Live, she has helped raise awareness and support for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, while also advocating for animal rescue through Country Now’s Pupdate series, spotlighting organizations including MuttNation Foundation, Wags & Walks, and Proverbs 12:10 Animal Rescue. Black has been recognized as one of Country Aircheck’s Women of Influence and received the 2012 Rising Star Award from the University of Central Florida. She is a longtime member of both the Country Music Association (CMA) and the Academy of Country Music (ACM). After nearly 20 years covering country music, Lauren Jo Black has spent her career telling the stories behind the artists, songs, and moments that have shaped the genre. Her first-ever book, Country Music Forever: An A-to-Z Celebration of Icons, Songs and Stories, brings that same passion and firsthand knowledge to the page, celebrating not only the legendary artists and timeless songs that have become the soundtrack to generations of fans, but also the places, traditions, and cultural moments that have made country music one of the most beloved genres around the world.
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