“We Back, Baby!”: Florida Georgia Line Reunites at CMA Fest With Triumphant Two-Song Set

Florida Georgia Line is back! Nearly six years after Tyler Hubbard and Brian Kelley called it quits, the beloved guys came together again, this time with a surprise set during CMA Fest.

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On Thursday night, fans at Nashville’s Nissan Stadium were eagerly awaiting the night’s headliner, Jason Aldean, when someone else popped up on a smaller stage in the middle of the floor.

Michael Buffer, a pro boxing and wrestling announcer, began reading off stats about a certain country duo.

Fans thought they knew what was coming after catching what they believed to be a FGL soundcheck earlier in the day, but that didn’t lessen the excitement when their theories were proven correct.

Buffer introduced the men individually, first Floridian Kelley and then Georgian Hubbard, each of whom entered on opposite sides of the stadium.

“Ladies and gentlemen make some noise! Bro country’s back again!” Buffer exclaimed. “They are FGL—Florida Georgia Line!”

Florida Georgia Line Steals the Show

With that, Hubbard and Kelley began making their way to the stage through the crowd, interacting with fans as they sang their 2012 hit, “Round Here.”

They met in the middle, sharing high fives and hugs as they soaked in the moment.

“CMA Fest, it feels so good to be here tonight,” Hubbard said. “It feels good to be here with my brother. Listen, we’ve got three things we want to say tonight.”

Hubbard continued by revealing the first two things on their list of messages—”God is good” and “life is short”—before Kelley joined in to exclaim, “Your boys, we back, baby!”

Without missing a beat, the guys broke into “Cruise,” their biggest-ever hit, which was released in 2012. The audience sang along the whole time, easily celebrating the duo as if they never left.

FGL wasn’t the only surprise guest of the evening. The stacked lineup, which included Tucker Wetmore, Ella Langley, and Gretchen Wilson, got a shocking addition—Jelly Roll.

Earlier in the night, following Zach John King’s set, Jelly Roll shocked the crowd by popping up on stage. He played for 30-minute straight, concluding his surprise set by singing “Favor.”

Photo by Robby Klein/Getty Images for CMA