Tyler Hubbard can safely say he has been fully embraced as a country artist, after spending the first decade of his career as part of a duo. The father of three, who formerly was half of Florida Georgia Line with Brian Kelley, just celebrated his third No. 1 song, with “Back Then Right Now,” the first single from his sophomore Strong album.
“I think there’s always a little bit of fear when you’re stepping into an unknown, but there’s also excitement and growth,” Hubbard admits to People. “With this third No. 1, it does sort of feel like a little bit of the pressure’s been taken off and I kind of am in familiar waters now. It feels a little less unknown, and so it’s a little less fearful.”
Fortunately, many of the Florida Georgia Line fans are just as supportive of Hubbard’s solo career, as evident by his string of successes.
“It feels good to reconnect with the FGL fans and the new fans in a different way,” says the singer. “I’m in a different season of life and to get to kind of mature and grow with the fans has been really cool. I can even feel a younger, next generation of fans starting to come up.”
Hubbard is back at radio with “Park,” a song he wrote with Jesse Frasure, Ashley Gorley and Canaan Smith.
“It feels like ‘Park’ is one of the songs on the album that the fans are really loving,” Hubbard says. “And the live reaction to ‘Park’ is also an indication of how well it’s doing. It’s been a lot of fun. The song just seems like it takes the energy of the show to the next level. There’s nothing like it [at country radio] at the moment. It just feels like a fun one.”
Hubbard wrote or co-wrote all 13 songs on Strong, a complete project that he is rightfully proud to have released.
“I’ve always tried to really just stack albums full of songs that I could be excited to sing forever,” the Georgia native explains. “And that’s kind of how I approach singles because once a song is a single, it’s sort of set in stone. That’s part of your story, that’s part of your journey, and you really invest a lot in the songs. So, I try to just stack albums full of songs that I would be proud to do that for.”
Hubbard is getting plenty of chances to perform all of his hit singles on the road this year. He will kick off his headlining Strong World Tour on September 6, after spending part of the year opening for Kane Brown on his In The Air Tour.
“The fact that we are going to get to go back and play these more intimate clubs that aren’t the big arenas actually gets me really excited,” Hubbard says. “I’ve played a lot of arenas over the last eight years and not a whole lot of the clubs and stuff, but that’s where I fell in love with live music the first time.”
Strong follows the release of Hubbard’s self-titled debut solo album, which was his first introduction to letting fans see who he was on his own, without being part of a duo.
“It was just to let them in to who I am even more, and know one another,” Hubbard previously explained. “Hopefully that connection to music is really powerful and special. That’s a fun thing I feel like this year for the first time, after putting out my debut album, I was really able to be in that with my fans for the first time, and see what they wanted, see what they were resonating with and connecting with.”
See a list of dates on Hubbard’s Strong World tour below. Find “Park” and all of Hubbard’s music and upcoming shows at TylerHubbardOfficial.com.
Strong World Tour Dates:
Fri., Sept. 6 | 8 Seconds Saloon | Indianapolis, IN+
Sat., Sept. 7 | The Sylvee | Madison, WI+
Thurs., Sept. 12 | The Signal | Chattanooga, TN+
Fri., Sept. 13 | The Blue Room (Outdoor Show) | Statesboro, GA+
Thurs., Sept. 19 | Avondale Brewing Company | Birmingham, AL+
Fri., Sept. 20 | Blind Horse Saloon | Greenville, SC+
Sat., Sept. 21 | Coyote Joe’s | Charlotte, NC+
Thurs., Oct. 24 | Haute Spot | Cedar Park, TX+
Sat., Oct. 26 | House Of Blues Houston | Houston, TX+
Thurs., Oct. 31 | GLC Live at 20 Monroe | Grand Rapids, MI*
Fri., Nov. 1 | History | Toronto, ON, CA+
Sat., Nov. 2 | Roxian Theatre | Pittsburgh, PA+
Thurs., Nov. 7 | Citizens House of Blues | Boston, MA+
Fri., Nov. 8 | The Fillmore Philadelphia | Philadelphia, PA+
Sat., Nov. 9 | The Fillmore Silver Spring | Silver Spring, MD+
Thurs., Nov. 14 | The Moon | Tallahassee, FL+
Fri., Nov. 15 | Abacoa Amphitheater | Jupiter, FL+
Thurs., Nov. 21 | The Ryman | Nashville, TN+
