We’ve Got A Bigger Problem Now. It’s Called Florida Georgia Line.
I’ll be honest with you, it makes me chuckle a little bit when I see some traditional country fan get hot and bothered over Kenny Chesney. It’s not that Kenny Chesney and his flowery shorts and flip flop songs don’t deserve a spirited berating every once and a while, but the exercise seems so out-of-touch with the current trends in popular country music. Chesney may still be one of the few country acts who can consistently sell out stadiums, and maybe he has a song tickle the Top 10 every so often. But his tenure as one of country’s top influential artists has long since passed.
It was Taylor Swift who broke Chesney’s streak of four CMA “Entertainer of the Year” awards in five years when the young songstress shocked the world in 2009, stimulating real country fans to take to the internet en masse to proclaim country music dead. The man behind Taylor Swift’s success was the Country Music Anti-Christ Scott Borchetta, herr führer of Big Machine Records; the same man behind the success of the sizzling hot pop country duo Florida Georgia Line. Similar to Taylor Swift, the Florida Georgia Line sensation has sprung out of nowhere, and threatens to downright dominate the popular country music landscape for the near future.
These dudes are on the mother of all tears. Their song “Cruise” threatens to be the biggest country song in 2013, and has already set multiple records, including spending 12 weeks at the top of Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart—the first time this has happened by a duo in the 69-year history of the chart. It’s also the first time a song has spent over 12 weeks on the chart since Buck Owens “Love’s Gonna Live Here” did it in 1963-64. “Cruise” has charted for a whopping 43 straight weeks stretching back to 2012, and has hit #1 on three separate occasions. It hit #1 on Billboard’s Country Airplay chart as far back as December 15th of last year, and the song is still going strong, now with a remix featuring hip-hop’s Nelly allowing the song to re-enter Billboard’s all-genre Hot 100 chart at #8.
“Cruise” has already been certified triple-platinum, and is showing no signs of slowing down, and Scott Borchetta and Big Machine have already released the second Florida Georgia Line single “Get Your Shine On,” which has also been very successful, hanging steady at #5 on Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart, and having spent a total of 31 weeks on the chart so far.
And the scariest part is, these may not be the biggest singles from Florida Georgia Line’s Here’s to the Good Times album. The record is jam packed with catchy songs ripe for radio. Florida Georgia line can’t just be laughed off as some flash-in-the-pan overnight sensation, or some gimmicky country-rap outfit riding a trend. Current songs competing with “Cruise” like Jason Aldean’s “1994” or Blake Shelton’s “Boys ‘Round Here” reek of desperation, and just downright reek as songs. As much as it pains me to admit it, Florida Georgia line’s Brian Kelley and Tyler Hubbard have an ear for catchy melodies, and make writing popular country hits look easy. Will it last? Time will tell, but right now they are positively dominating the mainstream country format.
And it’s not just country purists who seem slow on the uptake to Florida Georgia Line’s success. The country music industry seems a little lethargic to recognize that they have their next superstars on their hands. At the ACM Awards in April, the duo was only given one minute to perform “Cruise.” They reside on a subsidiary imprint of Big Machine Records called Republic Nashville, usually meant for smaller, developing bands, but there’s a good chance in six months they could be selling out arenas. Or maybe this is a sign that Music Row still doesn’t know about the long-term viability of this band, worried that there’s not enough substance to sustain their success moving forward. If this is the case, I think they’ve underestimated the shallowness of the mainstream country fan base.
Either way, Florida Georgia Line is here, and will be eroding the purity of the term “country” and terrorizing the ears of traditional country fans potentially for years to come. When the next round of CMA Awards come around next February, it may not be Taylor Swift winning the Entertainer of the Year award over Kenny Chesney, it may be Florida Georgia Line winning it over Taylor Swift.
May 28, 2013 @ 10:41 am
I knew these guys would be a problem the very first time I heard “Cruise.”
I remain hopeful that they won’t have much staying power, though. I mean, where do they go from here?
And I still think Kenny Chesney sucks. You may think his time in the sun has passed but you ain’t the one hearing “Pirate Flag” every other hour on the station I work for, are ya?
May 28, 2013 @ 11:01 am
I guess I’m just trying to say that if we could go back to the days when Kenny Chesney was the worst thing on country radio, we would be a lot better off, as sad as that may sound.
May 28, 2013 @ 11:06 am
I see your point.
May 28, 2013 @ 6:02 pm
Oh man, that’s really fucking depressing hahaha
May 29, 2013 @ 3:32 pm
At least Kenny Chesney’s lyrics make sense… what do the lyrics, “I sparkle when she smiles / Shine down on the radio dial,” “Summer sky dripped in rhinestones / Turn your party lights on,” and “Chrome piece tucked in the console / Riding high, roll up on the down low” even mean?! Do they just close their eyes and point at a list of words that rhyme with the current word they’re stuck on?
Also, it takes amazing writers to use the word “shine” 18 times in the same song… if we use the word “bacon” 72 times in one verse, will Scott Borchetta hire us, too?
May 30, 2013 @ 10:03 am
I guess I hadn’t listened to the lyrics of that song closely enough and didn’t realize that these guys were on the down low. Which, technically, they aren’t any more since they’ve come out about it.
May 31, 2013 @ 10:50 am
Shinedown is a very poor band I would not brag about having “on the radio dial”
December 1, 2013 @ 10:58 am
I disagree. Shinedown is not a poor band. You’ve been corrupted by horrible “music” and do not know what real music sounds like. It isn’t just about tuning a freaking guitar and having a “twang” in your voice or writing a bunch of stupid break-up songs because you have nothing better to do. It’s about putting your heart and soul into everything you do. Shinedown does that. So many “musicians” could learn a thing or two from them, thank you very much!
September 4, 2013 @ 6:40 pm
In response to ” “I sparkle when she smiles / Shine down on the radio dial,” “Summer sky dripped in rhinestones / Turn your party lights on,” and “Chrome piece tucked in the console / Riding high, roll up on the down low”
“Sparkle when she smiles” should be self-explanatory – her smile has an effect on him, he gets “giddy” or whatever word you choose. “Shine down” might refer to the band, in which YIKES, but they are a band from the same area as FGL.. so they say.
“Party lights”, also self-explanatory – get ready to party. Turn em on.
The “chrome piece” has been making me wonder, and I am inclined to believe they are referring to a metal pot pipe.. which I didn’t know anyone used any more, at least not adults. Then again, FGL is solidly marketed to young teenage girls.
“Riding high, roll up on the down low” – feeling good, coming up discreetly and without an obvious or grand entrance.
All this being said, I know these lyrics are utterly idiotic, and I know a pop act when I see one.
April 22, 2014 @ 2:08 pm
IT’S “eyes sparkle when she smiles” not “i sparkle” lol and it’s referring to the beautiful sparkle in her eye. Chrome piece tucked in the console is talking about his gun.. lol wow for old folks yall sure aren’t hip to what is REALLY going on in the world huh?!?!
May 28, 2013 @ 1:12 pm
“You may think his time in the sun has passed but you ain”™t the one hearing “Pirate Flag” every other hour on the station I work for, are ya?”
I think you mean ….ARRRRRRRRGG YA!?
April 7, 2014 @ 7:20 pm
I really do not understand how anyone can dislike Florida Georgia Line. Brian and Tyler have saved country music! I am from New York City and I have always looked down upon country music until Florida Georgia Line came out with their simple yet fun and catchy songs. This duo has put country music back on the grid (on a grand scale). They are the best thing to happen to country music!
May 12, 2014 @ 6:18 pm
Obvious troll is obvious.
May 28, 2013 @ 10:49 am
This is worse than Rascal Flatts ever thought about being. And this song is a reason (along with Blake Shelton, Luke Bryan, etc.) why I can no longer stomach Top 40 mainstream country radio. Thank God for KOKE FM and Outlaw Country on SiriusXM.
May 28, 2013 @ 10:52 am
“I think they”™ve underestimated the shallowness of the mainstream country fan base.”
Awesome line. Great write-up. I think if they don’t expand their sound a little on the next album, they might bore even the idiots, but I don’t think they’re going to give up super-douche-stardom that easily.
May 28, 2013 @ 10:58 am
The Florida Georgia Line franchise is becoming too big to fail, and even if their songwriting or style dries up, Scott Borchetta will bring in a dream team of producers and songwriters like he did with Taylor Swift to make sure he can stretch their popularity out for at least a few more albums.
May 13, 2014 @ 6:44 am
And Eric Church. Thank God for that guy.
May 28, 2013 @ 10:59 am
..”I think they”™ve underestimated the shallowness of the mainstream country fan base.” You nailed it right there Trigger! Great article.
I lasted about a minute into the song. The repetitive clinkity sound hurts my ears, but a whole generation has been weaned on tuneless clinkity clankity repetitive junk so here we go…….
Kenny sure can be annoying and he sure as heck will never be Jimmy Buffett but I have heard him sing a couple of fun tunes………in tune. I really liked Everybody wants to go to Heaven and ……….ummmmm
April 24, 2016 @ 5:58 am
You think we can’t get any more shallow???
“Challenge…ACCEPTED!!!”
May 28, 2013 @ 11:04 am
I have no problem with someone having a fun, catchy summer song every once in awhile. Nobody says that every single you release has to have a deep sentimental meaning. But you cannot build a career out of songs that don’t even make sense. These guys have no talent whatsoever. I’ll admit it, as much as I hate supporting them, I though Cruise was catchy the first time I heard it. I think that ‘Get Your Shine On’ is a really good summer song. But they don’t deserve an ounce of the success they are getting. You can’t fill an entire album with shit like that. There are too many talented people that deserve recognition. The problem is that they aren’t because assholes like these two are getting famous instead.
It amazes me that 10 years ago, I use to hate people like Kenny Chesney. I thought he was the death of country music. I refused to listen to him. Now they are playing him on the classic country station and I actually find myself singing along to his songs. As much as I dislike him, he did earn his spot in country music. Not all of his music qualifies as country, but he put out enough country music at the beginning to be considered an artist. These guys think they can come out with some shitty rap song and they get to break all the records. It just disgusts me
May 28, 2013 @ 11:30 am
This may sound like a really arbitrary thing, but I think we can’t underestimate the importance of them having the #1 and #5 song going into the summer. People are going to be out at the lake with their radios on, and Florida Georgia Line will be the loudest voice they hear. And when you’re doing fun things and forging memories, the songs you’re listening to become the soundtrack to those memories, and that allows listeners to forge long-term relationships with those songs and artists. FL/GA songs may be incredibly simple and stupid, but I think it is important to not underestimate how catchy they are. They have that 80’s one hit wonder universal appeal that most of pop country can’t can hold up against. I don’t think even Scott Borchetta thought “Cruise” would be this big for this long. That’s why they went ahead and released the second single.
May 28, 2013 @ 1:37 pm
I wouldn’t say everyone will love that out on the lake. During the summer of 2008, we spent a whole lot of time on the lake and they basically played Taylor Swift 24/7 on the radio. The only long-term relationship that forged was “I hate Taylor Swift with every fiber of my being”. 😛
May 28, 2013 @ 1:57 pm
I’m not necessarily saying you or me, but the general music buying public. I think the summer can be a powerful time for music, especially in the young demographics.
May 30, 2013 @ 10:09 am
I know what you’re saying here, and I think you are correct. Shalamar’s “Dancing in the Sheets” is far from the kind of music that I’ll typically listen to voluntarily. But because that piece of doo was an overplayed monster hit during a fun summer of my youth, hearing it brings back pleasant memories and I find myself not only listening but often turning up the radio on the rare occasions when it comes on.
May 28, 2013 @ 11:37 am
I was thinking of going to Porterfield Country Festival in northern WI because Marty Stuart will be there and I’d really like to see him in concert. Problem is Florida Georgia Line’s set is right after his and I don’t want to spend $65 to just see Marty and then leave.
I’ll just hope that those festivalgoers that are there to see FGL catch Marty’s set and realize he has a lot more talent than FGL.
May 28, 2013 @ 11:39 am
Does the girl with the dog tags sing the high parts? I couldn’t tell.
May 29, 2013 @ 2:59 am
is “girl” supposed to be an insult? all of the girls I know are fucking awesome! 🙂
May 29, 2013 @ 11:43 pm
To call a guy a girl. Yes.
May 28, 2013 @ 11:50 am
Ah yes, Florida Georgia Line. I had some good laughs at the expense of some of their “fans” this weekend. Sunday night in Little Rock we were in the midst of our annual summer block party known as Riverfest. In between scheduling washed up 90’s bands and classic rockers on the two main stages, the powers that be had the Drive-by Truckers playing during the same time as Florida Georgia Line. How anyone would choose to go watch FGL as the Truckers were playing is beyond me anyways but I digress. After Paul Thorn’s set a steady rain had decended upon Little Rock. A simple look to the sky and you could tell the rain would not last very long. My girlfriend and I were right against the railing and decided, well fuck it. We aren’t leaving. I hear some noise behind me and turn around and notice a gathering of bleach blonde teenage girls in dresses and cowboy boots gathering behind me. First thought was heheh blonde chicks, not too bad. Then my brain realised “Hey wait there are some douchebags playing on the other stage a few blocks away.” I begin to laugh and decide well if they want to go see those guys they should go through a little hell before hand. So I say nothing, hoping that they can see the bass drum that clearly says Drive-by Truckers. They continue to stand there. I continue to laugh and drink more beers. I over hear one of them on the phone telling their friends to get there quick there is hardly anyone at the stage. My girlfriend has had enough and decides to inform them of their error. They are pissed that they stood in the rain that long at the wrong stage! “How could this be?” i heard one of them say. Now this is an okay story as it stands but this happened five other times directly behind me from the time it took to quit raining to set up for the Truckers. The last group to come up there we decided well if they can’t read the bass drum or the banner that said Miller Lite (the Bud Light stage is where FGL was playing) then they deserve to miss out on the other show. As the Truckers walked out on the stage I made sure to turn and watch their expressions. When Patterson and Cooley walked out the look on their face was one we all probably made when Ol Yeller died. That sheer disapointment was priceless. So yes never underestimate the shallowness or stupidity of these FGL “fans.” They will stand in the rain with clear and direct signs pointing out that they are wrong and still believe it until they see a group of 40-50 year old men with more talent in their pinky toes than those ass clowns combined and still walk off. Which sucks because some of them were pretty cute.
May 28, 2013 @ 12:06 pm
They aren’t the problem specifically. It is a combination of them, Big Machine, and Billboard. Big Machine has managed to capitalize and manipulate the new Billboard Country chart. This song was dead on country radio months ago, but a remix with Nelly has pushed it back to the top. The remix is being treated as if it is the same exact song that was orginally released. Its sales totals have just been added to the original versions totals and somehow billboard has allowed it to remain on the country chart even though a majority of its airplay isn’t coming on country stations.
May 28, 2013 @ 1:19 pm
If anyone is interested in reading more in-depth about why this is happening:
https://savingcountrymusic.com/billboard-changes-country-chart-rules-boosts-crossover-songs
And we were all told at the time that the chart rules really would effect what we hear on the radio.
May 28, 2013 @ 5:16 pm
This might be a dumb question and maybe your post answered it. I took a rare look at the pop (Top 40) Mediabase chart and “Cruise f/Nelly” is #8 and maybe headed for #1. Does the pop airplay of that version count for the pop airplay that counts for the Billboard Hot Country cough Big Machine/Universal cough chart?
Some time ago Scott said he was going to go after acts other labels were leaving money on the table by not signing.
May 30, 2013 @ 6:31 pm
Yes the airplay from Pop and any other format count for the new Hot Country Songs chart. I really would support the chart if it only included country airplay. As it stands now it’s just the Billboard Hot 100 with only songs of “Nashville” origin.
Also while this is “breaking records” and “achievments” and will unfortunatley be written in the history books as such; as far as I can tell the industry doesn’t really care about a song’s success on it. The only ads I’ve seen touting the achievements on it were from the Big Machine Label Group. Otherwise it doesn’t seem like it’s making much of an impact.
May 28, 2013 @ 12:18 pm
Perhaps their fan base of teen girls and 20 somethings will grow tired of them sooner than later. At least I hope so. They are the bottom of the barrel as far as music goes. You really nailed it in this article.
May 28, 2013 @ 12:40 pm
Has anyone ever actually heard any kind of sound at all come out of that blond haired dudes mouth? He’s like the Harpo Marks of country music. 🙂
May 28, 2013 @ 1:20 pm
It is my theory that he’s just around in case the long-haired one needs someone to hold his hair back as he vomits his designer drugs into the toilet.
May 29, 2013 @ 7:35 am
Trig,
Is this the first brother/sister act to hit the top 10 since the Carpenters?
May 30, 2013 @ 10:16 am
No. I think the Nelson twins had a number 1 hit 20 years ago or so.
May 28, 2013 @ 12:42 pm
Oh these guys are harmless. Sure they are spiking because they are targeting the crowd that causes the popularity….15-22yrs. old. They are flavor of the month, maybe even year or two, but they aren’t breaking any ground.
I actually don’t mind these dudes. They are comical and taking them seriously at all is pointless. Big Machine saw an opportunity… the mainstream duo category is pretty vacant since Brooks & Dunn’s retirement and Taylor’s fans are growing up… so enter in a couple Abercrombie Fitch douches as some eye candy to the maturing femal.
The 18 yr. old kid listening to this stuff isn’t going to suddenly start liking Hellbound Glory if they had radio play.
I would much rather see these two at the top than Brantley or Aldean continue to reign.
May 28, 2013 @ 1:08 pm
Fads and trends come and go and usually those are fostered upon us by shrewd marketing of outfits like big machine, They will have a few more hits and fade away. Thre is hope I was in Port Aransas, Texas this weekend and the little waterfront open air Beach bar was packed around 250 people to See Gary P. Nunn to which a 20 something looked at his buddy and said wow a steel guitar that is cool. The next night Larry Joe Taylor Played the same bar to a packed house and both nights it was the 20 somethings in the crowd who dug the music and bought the merch. Oh and yeah you comment about Chesney being better than what were getting stuck with now is true !
May 28, 2013 @ 4:37 pm
There’s nothing I can add to describe how much FGL sucks, but as a long-time Kenny Chesney anti-fan, I have a question for you fine folks.
Kenny Chesney is a horrible singer, right? Tell me that I’m not alone on this. He sucks as a vocalist, right?
May 28, 2013 @ 5:48 pm
Generaly when you put out warnings about groups like this I ignore the group. That is what I’ve done with FGL up till now. You’ve talked about them so much I figured I’d go to you tube & check them out to make my own opinion on the group. I noticed three things off the bat.
1) when I did a search for the group even before the song Cruise was a remix version featuring Nelly. I knew then my ears were in trouble.
2) Before noticing anything else in the video it became clear the to guys who appear to be singing this song look more like male supper models instead of the rednecks they want you to believe they are.
3) The last thing I noticed was that the song was pretty good. It’s not great but it is good.
My conclusion about FGL & Cruise….While I have no proof I am 99% positive These guys are the new Milli Vanilli.
May 28, 2013 @ 6:48 pm
Nothing surprises me anymore, the general public is stupid. In the meantime, Eric Strickland has released the best country album in 2013, check it out people.
May 29, 2013 @ 7:08 am
The problem with “Cruise” is it seems to have been around forever at this point.
Far worse is Blake Shelton’s “Boys Round Here” yet another song about beer, trucks, girls, tailgates and “Chew tobacco, chew tobacco Spit” Who the hell writes this trash. The pandering is unbelievable, what’s more unbelievable though is people are buying this drek. How did Blake go from “Austin” and “Ol’ Red” to this.
I place the immaturity in country music at the feet of Chensey and Paisley, his noisy guitar and their pandering to frat boys.
May 29, 2013 @ 3:19 pm
Bamstrait, finally someone else to call out Paisley! I’ve never understood the draw to Brad Paisley? Outside of Whiskey Lullaby, every song of his is a commercial jingle. “Water”, “Ticks”, “Alcohol”, “Future” on and on with the one word titles…. sure he can play a guitar, but his songs are god awful and just “hook” songs. He might be a true country historian, although when I saw him on Leno once, Leno asked him about wearing the cowboy hat, he said it was so people knew the kind of music he played.
If you need a hat to tell the music you’re playing, you’re not playing that music.
Chesney…he actually has some decent songs when you look at his years prior to being a high school memory ambassador.
May 29, 2013 @ 4:45 pm
I like the fact that Paisley seems to respect the roots of country music or has that all been an act too? As far as his music goes to mainstream for me now.
May 30, 2013 @ 11:01 am
I’ve always considered Paisley an imposter and a fraud as well as a horrible songwriter. I don’t care about his ability to play guitar, long drawn out guitar solos belong in country music about as much as a steel drum, oh wait Chesney did that.
May 29, 2013 @ 8:48 am
Were they a struggling duo or did Scott Borchetta just create them?
May 29, 2013 @ 11:32 am
They were more of a independent regional act with great success in the southeast. They had already released two EP’s before Big Machine picked them up. Big Machine picked them up after Sirius The Highway started playing Cruise in heavy rotation.
May 29, 2013 @ 1:33 pm
Must have been a small region it’s hard to believe I figured Scott B. just threw them together.
May 29, 2013 @ 3:20 pm
a small region and playing clubs on 16 and up nights. Don’t think these guys made it through any real honky tonks.
May 29, 2013 @ 3:49 pm
Your right I doubt these guys could make it in a honky tonk.
May 29, 2013 @ 10:52 am
It seems like every song Trigger berates is or will be a hit. Maybe if we praise shitty music and talk bad about real music the good stuff will make it to radio. Everyone knows that pop country fans don’t recognize sarcasm or ulterior motives.
May 29, 2013 @ 7:28 pm
keep the tv and radio off, they cant hurt you
May 30, 2013 @ 7:26 am
My pd played the new Florida Georgia Line single for me yesterday and while it is toxic it isn’t nearly the earworm the others are, especially “Cruise.”
I remain optimistic these guys can’t hang for long.
I remain pessimistic that something worse will present itself shortly, though I’m not exactly sure what that could be. Dubstep country maybe.
May 30, 2013 @ 3:12 pm
Sometimes I try and picture the artists of today playing at San Quintin or Folsom like Cash did. Just picture the reception these two would get from the cons. 😀 ROFLMAO
May 30, 2013 @ 6:30 pm
My greatest fear is not so much Florida-Georgia Line themselves, but the implications their success is going to have on the wider country radio genre and beyond.
Their success will inevitably spawn a lot of impostors that identify a bare minimal to not-at-all with the musical and balladeering traditions of the genre, and more with the cultural ideology of what is supposedly “country”. In other words, “country” as a cultural badge as opposed to a rich music tradition.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=efQmigcO9z8
One act which Farce The Music has been following along closely I greatly fear can explode at any minute is Blackjack Billy. It’s bad enough we have to deal with the 3OH!3 of country radio. Having to deal with Florida Georgia Line multiplied by 2.5 would be adding insult to injury! -__-
May 30, 2013 @ 6:56 pm
I wish they would change their name to Georgia Alabama line, and stop giving people the wrong idea about those of us who really grew up on the Florida Georgia line. It’s embarrassing
May 30, 2013 @ 10:05 pm
Apparently I’m just an idiot because I don’t see what’s so bad about the original version of “Cruise” or Florida Georgia Line in general. Trigger, I’ve read both this article and your review of “Cruise” and I just don’t get why you hate these guys so much (granted it’s been a week or so since I read the song review). Do I like them? Not particularly, but I don’t think of them as concentrated evil. “Cruise” is a decent song, especially when compared with the remix and “Get Your Shine On.” FGL struck me as mediocre from the get-go, but not especially terrible as you so often cite. The “Cruise” remix, on the other hand, is an atrocity (which I was hoping was the subject of this article when I happened upon it). When are we gonna get a review, Trigger?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bmZ9xRO7M9M
May 30, 2013 @ 10:51 pm
A lot of people think that all I have to do to write about something is simply decide that I want to write about it. Unfortunately I am not a good enough writer to do that. So I write about whatever is inspiring me at any given time so that way the words are easier to come by. I would love to write a review or rant for the “Cruise” remix, and you may see one sooner than later. But I kind of already blew my wad on that song, and so I’m waiting for inspiration. I wrote two rants on “Boys ‘Round Here” because the video offered such great inspiration and material. Not feeling that as much with the “Cruise” remix video. It’s just kind of the same pap.
We’ll see…
June 5, 2013 @ 1:33 pm
“A lot of people think that all I have to do to write about something is simply decide that I want to write about it. Unfortunately I am not a good enough writer to do that. So I write about whatever is inspiring me at any given time so that way the words are easier to come by. I would love to write a review or rant for the “Cruise” remix, and you may see one sooner than later. But I kind of already blew my wad on that song, and so I”™m waiting for inspiration. I wrote two rants on “Boys ”˜Round Here” because the video offered such great inspiration and material. Not feeling that as much with the “Cruise” remix video. It”™s just kind of the same pap. We”™ll see”¦”
I dunno, Trig. I re-listened to the remix a day or two ago and while I can’t speak for you, I still think it’s ripe for a rant. Even if the song isn’t all that different, the machine gun rapping of Nelly at least deserves a mention. Through what little I could discern, he refers to himself as a country boy in terms of the song. You’re telling me THAT in and of itself isn’t enough? I’m not of the opinion that every artist that claims to sing country music has to NECESSARILY be completely backwoods, but Nelly is a rapper and rap is an urban genre. Florida Georgia Line may not be country boys in the purest sense (or even at all, I wouldn’t know), but at least they aren’t the polar opposite and claiming to be the real deal for the purposes of a single.
By the way, in response to my earlier comment, I’d like you to know that it finally clicked with me why this song is so damaging. I think that I’ve just gotten so used to the radio that it didn’t surprise me as anything but more of the norm. I read an article from your newsfeed (http://www.nashvillegab.com/2013/06/florida-georgia-line-are-killing-country-music-and-the-jokes-on-us.html) and re-examined this one and it suddenly made sense. I apologize for being a skeptic about it.
September 4, 2013 @ 7:21 pm
Allow me to play devil’s advocate – claiming to be a “country boy” does not indicate playing “country music”. On a professional level, Nelly has used his midwest roots to his advantage as far as image and attitude.
May 31, 2013 @ 7:35 pm
I gotta kinda agree to an extent. “Cruise” is pretty much awful, but just in kind of a normal awful way that didn’t really distinguish itself from all the other bad songs out there. But then I made the tragic mistake of hearing “It’z Just What We Do” and oh man, that song is definitely concentrated evil in the form of pure suck. It’s maybe not as bad as “1994”, but it sure tries to be.
May 31, 2013 @ 3:30 am
This gets even more scary! I was looking at page relating to Tommy Alverson’s “Heroes and Friends” album on allmusic and look what comes up as part of the ‘similar albums’ selection at the bottom! Surely some mistake??!!
http://www.allmusic.com/album/heroes-and-friends-mw0000143874
May 31, 2013 @ 10:52 am
Breaking News! Their music’s just come to Poland… I work as a bartender in one of the pubs in my Polish hometown. Three days ago, amongst many crappy pop songs aired there I heard something which sounded like typical “nashville music”. I checked the band’s name on the CD player. When I saw “Florida Georgia Line”, I immediately changed the song. I never do that during my work, but I hate when crappy pop band has a name related to Dixieland and country. I can’t stand fooling people. A similar situation to quite famous (at least in 80’s and 90’s) band called Alabama. How could they take the name of that state. Alabama – the heart of Dixie, the place where Hank Sr. was born and buried… Country and Western music is too young to die, but it’s being killed successfully, day by day.
May 31, 2013 @ 6:44 pm
Whenever I am in a bar where real music is being played I always make my way to the stage and pass a 10 or 20, to the band and request that they NOT play any Kenny Chesney or Tim McGraw. I’ m going to have to rethink that as they are now the real thing. Thank God that I have almost every Merle and Waylon song ever recorded.
June 2, 2013 @ 2:08 pm
There is another little douche on the way 18 year old Dakota Bradley. He is Tim McGraw’s project and McFlaw will be producing his first cd. Just what we need more Justin Bieber’s of country music.
June 2, 2013 @ 4:36 pm
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gbzkxiGLD_I
LOL. Here’s the new boy wonder in his Bieber haircut singing about girl wonder.
June 3, 2013 @ 12:23 pm
Ouch that was painful. I’m sure he will be a hit with the teens and twenty somethings. Tim McGraw calls him the “real deal” like McGraw would know what that is.
June 3, 2013 @ 2:45 pm
The douche brothers have a new video watch at your own risk.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8lAqLPQMxWY
June 3, 2013 @ 2:52 pm
Here is the official video for this piece of sh**
http://www.cmt.com/videos/florida-georgia-line/914470/round-here.jhtml
June 4, 2013 @ 5:50 am
Had to keep fighting the urge to laugh. Almost feel sorry for them. The whole process reminds of those packaged boy and girl bands that were popular for a while.
June 4, 2013 @ 6:38 am
The lyrics to the song are the weakest I’ve ever heard.Your right about the manufactured boy band.
June 5, 2013 @ 7:41 am
Another potential problem created by Scott Borchetta: Cassadee Pope, “The Voice” product. Throughout the show’s season I don’t think she showed any inclination towards country music, well, except maybe doing pop versions of songs of Miranda Lambert, Keith Urban, etc, yet here she is, about to be launched into the genre country by our friend Scott B.
June 9, 2013 @ 9:47 am
Cassadee Pope new single ‘Wasting All These Tears’ sounds like a mix of Avril and Taylor. She’s more pop/rock/punk like Avril Lavigne. Maybe one day Justine Bieber will cross over to country?
June 5, 2013 @ 1:50 pm
Scott B. won’t be happy till he has total ripped the heart and soul out of what’s left of country music.
June 6, 2013 @ 6:09 am
Kenny Chesney / Tim McGraw can’t actually sing very well. They don’t have good voices. No range, no tone.
June 15, 2013 @ 9:10 am
I totally agree with the views of this website. Men (and I use the term loosely) like Scott Borschetta, Mike Curb, et al have completely ruined country music. Although I may be wrong, what is needed is a change in tactics. If you think that complaining on a blog is going to change the country music landscape over night, stop now. The powers that be have taken the field and consolidated their gains. Like it or not, they are the “deciders” as Mr. Shelton affectionately calls himself. There is a way to win, but it is not going to happen overnight.
Sun Tzu stated that “if your enemy is superior, evade him.” In this context, that means whenever a Scott Borchetta-esque produced song, or anything that sounds like it, comes on the radio, or turn it off. I know this sounds like a “If you don’t like today’s country, don’t listen to it” rant, but I believe it has merit. This war is going to be won by one little victory at a time. It is not going to be won over night.
July 7, 2013 @ 8:32 pm
Maybe I am just beaten down by a decade or more of bad mainstream country but I can’t even find the energy to get too outraged by things like this anymore. A few years ago I would have been immensely bothered by a piece of excrement like “Cruise” spending all those weeks at #1. But it is in no way the biggest thing in country music, nor will it ever be. It is merely an illustration of how seriously flawed Billboard’s chart tabulation methodology is. It is a bogus #1 at best.
July 21, 2013 @ 5:21 pm
This is why putting country singers like Florida Georgia Line on mainstream music like pop music is a bad idea. Never make a mainstream music song like a rap song by a country singer like Tim McGraw. It’s a bad idea. To be honest, only Taylor Swift (and to a lesser extent Carrie Underwood and Hunter Hayes) can make mainstream music like pop music. Others like Miranda Lambert doesn’t. Country singers turning into pop music is just a plain no. If a country singer is a country singer, keep it a country singer. Only Carrie Underwood/Taylor Swift/Hunter Hayes can make country and pop crossover music. Example: a Shaina Twain pop song. This is why Shaina Twain and pop music don’t go together even though she is a Canadian country singer. Keep country singers like Blake Shelton away from mainstream music like pop music. Country singers like Kieth Urban should stay on country music only. That’s Carrie Underwood’s/Taylor Swift’s/Hunter Hayes’s job. Carrie Underwood’s/Taylor Swift’s/Hunter Hayes’s job is to make mainstream music songs like pop songs, others like Florida Georgia Line doesn’t. Plus, Carrie Underwood/Taylor Swift/Hunter Hayes outclass Country singers turning into pop music since Carrie Underwood/Taylor Swift/Hunter Hayes can play country music on pop music stations as well as making pop music for pop music stations only. Cruise remix is not a country song. Cruise remix is a mainstream music song because Nelly is a mainstream music artists, not a country music artist. I know Nelly loves country music and he can pair with country singers like Tim McGraw really well. But Nelly should stay on mainstream music only. Keep Florida Georgia Line away from mainstream music like rap music. This is why there’s mainstream music and country music crossover stations. Music Choice and Vevo are mainstream music and country music crossover stations. Since most country music only appeared on country music, I would like country music on VH1 and Fuse. VH1 and Fuse can make great music channels to broadcast country music videos since MTV didn’t have any faith on country music. Plus, country music make cameo appearances on Fuse while VH1’s great lists contains country singers in them like Carrie Underwood. So I would say country music works really well on VH1 and Fuse that way country music videos in general like Taylor Swift country music videos can be shown on VH1 and Fuse. I hope Florida Georgia Line should not appear on mainstream music anymore.
July 21, 2013 @ 9:06 pm
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MPyyVN1_eDU
August 18, 2013 @ 2:18 am
What is wrong with Florida Georgia Lines music. It’s just a newer generation of country music my god every country song does not have to tell a sappy story. I like these guys laid back, fun and something to have not a worry about when listening to. You know an artist that don’t deserve any type of fame is SCOTTY F-ING MCREERY he sucks, he is just a josh turner want to be. Any ways I love Florida Georgia Line I think it a refreshing vibe to country music. I grew up to classic country with my grandfather and grandmother so don’t even go there about “you know nothing about the genre when the hell I do.” I mean if the country music genre was just classic sounding country you would have a very small fan base unless you like listening to it or you were born in that era. Either way FLGL is good fun music stop trying to make it out to be the death of country music. People like Scotty will be the death of country music cause it’s not original but generic country.
October 8, 2013 @ 8:11 pm
I would love to see these two covered in shit
December 21, 2013 @ 10:13 am
I couldn’t agree more, the so called country music of today is nothing more than a bunch of misfit pop entertainers advertised as country. Sadly, the real country music made today doesn’t stand a chance to be played on the radio or the pop only video network called CMT. I am hoping in 2014 CMT will come out of the closetband Change their name to PMT. If you want to check out a great new country song and video look up ‘July in Cheyenne’ by Aaron Watson, great stuff and that’s country!!
December 21, 2013 @ 10:22 am
And by the way who ever asked to have country music mainstream? Does mainstream meaning changing the the actual music style to pop so it appeals to the pop music fans. The CMA awards has turned into a Vegas style show with appearances by JayZ and songs by Steven Tyler. If I wanted to see them I would try the MTV awards. It ain’t country, and if you want mainstream please Let Nashville execsvknow you are going back to your pop music so they can follow the money and give us our country back.
December 23, 2013 @ 4:06 am
Im a fan of all music. The good the bad the ugly. You’re right this is not Country music. They just have accents. So here’s what I propose, call it what it is. Fucking country pop. Artists who’s lyrics are not quite country and not quite pop. Add a southern accent and it’s like let’s throw em into the country genre. It’s quite amusing to me how this is an argument. Just like Taylor Swift and most new country artists. Country pop! Problem solved lol
December 28, 2013 @ 12:53 pm
Alright, I have read most of the comments on here and I still have the same thought that I had before reading this article. FGL, and 99.9% of the new crap these days that proclaim themselves to be country music is nothing more than what use to be called rock back in the … well… a while ago. Charlie Pride, Conway, Loretta, Hank, Hank Jr., CDB (Charlie Daniels Band for those that are too young to remember), Pretty much everything PRE-Garth Brooks I’d consider real country music.
I saw it happening back then and I haven’t seen any sign of it slowing down. The so-called ‘experts’ tell people what country music is supposed to sound like and the people are just supposed to drink it and go along. This modern trend has led us to having country that sounds like rock music did back in the 70’s and 80’s. Frankly, I don’t listen to the new crap, because that’s what it is for the most part. Crap. Oak Ridge Boys, Alabama, Statler Brothers, Dwight Yoakam, Chris Kristofferson, and many of the others are what I still listen to and prefer over any of the new stuff that’s been labeled ‘country music’.
January 12, 2014 @ 8:16 am
Keney Chesney is pop rock and not country.
January 12, 2014 @ 8:17 am
Kenny and not Keney.
March 8, 2014 @ 12:19 pm
i wonder how much the fortune 500 paid these guys for all the product placements in their songs. more corporate logos in their music than a nascar fire suit. 8 product endorsements in 4 songs. what a pair of sell outs.
“…she looks so good in her silver tabs…”
“…a bottle of bacardi black…”
“…drop down the top of the pontiac…”
“…that fireball whiskey whispers…”
“…brand new chevy with a lift kit…”
“…turned on those kc lights…”
“…silverado candy painted…”
“…ray bans got the whole world shaded…”
April 20, 2014 @ 6:03 pm
I love FGL …
… and I know what all those words mean … and why they say them the way they do.
🙂
Keep doing what you are doing guys. It’s awesome and fills a void in Americana right now.
“We cuss on those Mondays and pray on those Sundays.”
April 24, 2014 @ 9:44 pm
I’m not a “country music purist” myself. In fact, I quite like Kenny Chesney (check out his duet ‘Coconut Tree’ with Willie Nelson) and grew up on 90’s-2000’s country. But I certainly like Hank Sr. and Jr. I love me some Willie Nelson and the occasional John Anderson. George Jones. Etc.
But I also love Jo Dee Messina and Toby Keith and the like.
But. The latest influx of “bro country” is just awful. As someone who actually likes pop country, it’s awful. These young, new artists seem to not appreciate their roots. Country music has always been a genre about story telling, not a genre about how drunk you got last Friday. And I love the occasional party song, but when the entire radio is full of them, I have a problem.
I wonder how much of it is the record labels’ doings. Surely, Luke Bryan can’t love partying THAT much…
May 2, 2014 @ 1:02 pm
A fan of the classics and a 25 year old I hate these guys. Having never lived more than the first 5 years of my life with genuine great country music I wouldn’t call myself a concerned country fan, but as a musician and an appreciator of art I fear these guys might be the proverbial anti Christ of the musical world. Crappy music that crosses genre and makes you think at a elementary level to understand it will enslave the masses of mindless top 40 worshipers. Chet Atkins, my all time favorite country artist, is probably rolling in his grave at what people call “progressive country “music . People wake up! We need to stop feeding the Beast, support musicians who aren’t watering down the market. There is no blues, honkey tank, rockabilly, or country left, only pop. The end is near.
June 12, 2014 @ 7:36 am
I can’t stand FGL. Their music is awful and the way the leader singer is all hunched over and stringy hair flying when he performs is just not good stage presence. And the red haired guy always looks like he’s still shocked that he’s on stage since he knows he has no talent to speak of, but don’t tell anybody.
June 12, 2014 @ 7:41 am
The one on the left needs to stand up straight and the one on the right has no talent. Soon as everybody figures out these two are short lived “talent”, we’ll never hear from them again.
September 19, 2014 @ 11:40 am
I have yet to find one country fan that actually likes Florida Georgia Line. They are nothing more than a pop-rock band masquerading as country.
But then again, the entire country radio industry is merely old school pop masquerading as country.
The footnote of history will show that Country radio sold out to the almighty dollar in the 2000s.
November 15, 2014 @ 6:02 pm
You guys are funny when you all say that this group will ruin traditional country music forever- as to imply any country music is worth a fuck lol. It is merely simple music for those with lacking intellect. Period. If I ever need a good laugh I just put on any country station and allow my mind to be inundated by the dumbest, most unimaginitive, redundant and played out lyrics and music this world has ever and will ever here. If our musical progenitors such as Chopin, Beethoven, Vivaldi, Hendrix, Davis, and even Chet Atkins could just come back to life and here this dumb shit now, I promise they would rob the first gun store they could find and blow their damned brains out. Florida Georgia Line is not the problem, although they suck something awful), the music industry in general is a problem.
November 28, 2014 @ 9:10 pm
I NEED to say this. I hate this stupid fucking ear bleeding shit and I can’t believe that anyone would support this shit ass so called music. I really wish these guys would read this and stop. Just STOP. Good god. It is so bad. STOP. You guys suck and well you suck please quit making stupid nose it is really the most annoying sound in the world
January 21, 2015 @ 1:05 pm
Florida Georgia line is awesome. All of you people that are againstv them are idiots. Thinking that “crome piece tucked in the console” is a drug pipe! Lmao he’s talking about a pistol. I mean really grow up people. If you dont like it then dont listen to it! Meanwhile the rest of us will be listening to it while going downtown the road, enjoying it!
January 30, 2015 @ 1:51 pm
No doubt Florida GeorgiaLline does sound good. However it should go noticed that cruise sounds way better remixed with Nelly. When that happens, it should not be considered country. Therefore Florida Georgia Line is not country. And that is what this is all aboot.
August 26, 2015 @ 10:57 pm
If you think FGL is worth a shlt at all, you need serious help. Please seek out help NOW!!
November 28, 2015 @ 3:25 pm
I have always hated country music Im from NY and country makes my ears bleed FGL is the first country cd i have actually ever liked so i would think that bringing people to the dark side I mean country music side would be good for country fans or am i wrong just an opinion
March 14, 2017 @ 9:58 am
Obvious freaking Troll is obvious!!
October 24, 2016 @ 9:05 am
Florida Georgia Line is not stupid. They are amazing. Country Music is getting better with them!
March 14, 2017 @ 9:21 am
That’s cute.
March 30, 2018 @ 10:38 am
Florida Georgia line? Isn’t that the home of Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers, The Outlaws, some of the Allman Brothers Band? You know, the real musicians, with guts, integrity, and talent? Florida Georgia Line-the group-is not music, it’s product, like toothpaste or toilet paper, the difference being that the other products serve a useful purpose.