Tyler Hubbard’s Solo Career: What He’s Learned

Tyler Hubbard's solo career has been moving along so well that with two number-one solo singles already under his belt, he is releasing his second solo album, Strong, on April 12.

Once one-half of Florida Georgia Line with Brian Kelley, Tyler told us recently he has made some real strides in his life and how to manage a successful music career. He said, "I think, ultimately, for the first time, I am fully able to step into who I am. I didn't realize this before, but with the dynamic of being in a duo or a band or a partnership, I think everyone's subconsciously a little bit cautious to maybe overshadow the other person."

Hubbard added candidly, "It's no secret that I was more of the voice and a little bit of the face (of FGL), so subconsciously, I really backed off of the areas of leadership that I should probably be stepping into when it comes to running an organization."

Florida Georgia Line is performing onstage in 2013. Photo -Rick Diamond/Getty Images 

He continued, "I didn't realize that, but now I feel like so much freedom in that where I'm not questioning like, 'Does me investing in this relationship paint a bad picture for BK? Does this make BK look bad?' You know, like, 'Am I overshadowing him? Am I overdoing it?' So, now, I can just fully dive in."

The now solo and happy country star concluded, "Now that I am where I am, I have thought about it, and it's like, 'Wow, I didn't realize that.' So, it's just another reminder of the gift of where I'm at and getting to experience this rebuild with a different dynamic."

Tyler is currently the supporting act on Kane Brown's 2024 "In The Air Tour," which kicked off this week (3/28).

When Kane opendd for FGL early in his career, Hubbard saw a big future for this young native Tennessee kid. He offered, "It was incredible to watch him take on the challenge and grow a ton on that tour. Now, it's full circle. Now I'm getting to open up for him, and I watch him play, and I'm just like, 'Wow, he's really grown into something special.'"

Tyler added, "He's just an awesome dude; he's a great artist. I think he has really found himself and knows who he is and what he wants to be."

Tyler Hubbard has only released four solo singles so far. His solo career started in 2022 when he released his EP Dancin In The Country. Since then, he has scored two number-one songs, "5 Foot 9," his debut solo single, and the smash "Dancin' In The Country."

"Dancin' in The Country" was a song Tyler co-wrote with Keith Urban. At the number-one party in downtown Nashville last June (6/13), Keith joined Tyler and talked with us about their first writing together before the party started.

Keith told us about writing the song with Hubbard, "It was natural because we were gonna be out touring, and it just made sense for Tyler to come out; he was game for it, and it was a great fit." Tyler adds, "It was. I think that helped us kind of not break the ice, but you know, we were kind of already buddies, but being in a room when you're writing with somebody for five or six hours, you're pretty much ultimately as vulnerable as you can be and you become friends pretty quickly."

Hubbard said he was grateful to Keith for adding him to his headlining tour last year (2022) as his first solo shows came together. He said that they might write together again, "I think that was pretty nice like saying, 'We get a long, we're gonna have a blast playing shows together, we'll probably get creative on the road, we'll probably have some good times, and why not? I'm available, and let's do this.' It worked out really well, and Keith was kind enough to trust me and the band to come out there and figure out how to put on a new show. It was unproven; it was the first time we had ever been on tour."

As Tyler celebrates his 37th birthday today (1/31), we take a look at three of his solo music videos.

Tyler gets to mix his two loves in life, music and motocross, in this official music video for his song "Back Then, Right Now." Hubbard told us of writing the song, "It was a typical writing day in Nashville. Three of my good friends and great songwriting buddies – David Garcia, we were actually at his house in his studio, and then Jessie Jo Dillon and Geoff Warburton, and it was actually the first time we'd written together."

He continued, "We had that title, and then we just started telling stories and reminiscing and just thought, man, this would be really fun to write. Let's write a nostalgic song that kind of encompasses the heart of being present and living life in the moment and living life to the fullest and the simple things in life, you know, making time to enjoy those things. It was a great day. I think we all kind of needed it, and it was just a reminder of the importance of making memories, being present and kind of where we came from as well."

This is labeled an "unofficial" music video on Tyler's YouTube page. The video is more of a visual for the song and features Hubbard singing outside in a field in front of a white backdrop. The lyrics for his first solo chart-topper are sweet. They are: "God makes five foot nine, brown eyes, and a sundress / Loves Tim McGraw and a small town accent / Ain't no way that me and this truck made her fall in love / Jack makes good whiskey, but God makes the good stuff / Oh, God makes the good stuff."

Tyler, who co-wrote the song about his love for his wife Hayley, confessed that his wife is 5'10, but the song was already written when he found that out, and he didn't want to mess with a finished product.

This fun video stars actor Terry Crews (America's Got Talent, Brooklyn Nine-Nine).

Set in a bar while Tyler performs "Dancin' In The Country," Crews and his group of biker friends walk in, and immediately, the unexpected occurs on the dance floor in an extraordinary "bar fight." Hubbard told us of the new video, "This video is unlike any video that I've ever been a part of. We had the ultimate heavy hitter with Terry Crews on set – he was made for a video like this. One minute, he looked like he was ready to punch a hole in the wall, and the next, he's got the entire room laughing, just being himself. Terry is one of those guys that everyone wants to be around, and he was just perfect for this video." He adds, "Terry and the dancers brought the choreography to life and were able to tell the story through their amazing dancing."

Crews said of the video in a press release, "I was so excited to be asked to do this video with Tyler, and when I saw the concept, I thought there was no one else that could pull this off. This video is like a three-minute touchdown celebration; it was so great to be part of. For Tyler to allow me to represent something he wrote from his heart means a lot, and I can't wait for everyone to see it."