Florida Georgia Line Prove All-Stars of CMA Fest

From awards, to packed stadiums, to number one songs, the hot new duo came from virtual ambiguity just one year ago.

Forget the fact that last year at this time Florida Georgia Line wasn’t signed to a label. Forget the fact that last year at this time the song “Cruise” was just beginning to be a subconscious thought in the minds of radio stations. Forget the fact that last year the duo played the BMI Tailgate Stage outside of LP Field to roughly 150 people during CMA Fest week.

On second thought… forget none of that. Remember it well, because this is a true success story. This story proves that raw talent and hard work (and yes, a whole lot of luck) pay off. Because this year during CMA Fest, Florida Georgia Line may have been the hottest act in town.

“Cruise” has been certified triple platinum, in part due to the remix version featuring Grammy-winning, hip-hop icon Nelly. Between the two versions, “Cruise” landed them at number 1 on the country charts, and in the top 5 (and climbing) on the Hot 100 chart. And those 150 people outside LP Field last year at CMA Fest turned into 60,000 people filling the stadium this year. For those keeping score at home, that’s pretty much unheard of.

Tack on to that the beginning of Tyler and BK’s CMA Fest week: Last Tuesday, The Hard Rock Café announced an exhibit featuring Florida Georgia Line memorabilia. Hard Rock pays for that of course, but the guys said, “No… give it to charity.”

That charity was Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee, which brings us to later that very same evening: Legendary songwriter and publisher Craig Wiseman hosted his 9^th annual Stars For Second Harvest benefit at the Ryman Auditorium to benefit the charity, and asked Florida Georgia to headline the show. Again, what a difference a year makes, as the band was actually introduced as a small add-on act in last year’s show.

And did I mention Nelly showed up?

The next night was the CMT Music Awards, where FGL was making their first official appearance. They proceeded to take home two buckles for Duo Video of the Year and Breakthrough Video of the Year. They also closed out the show with “Cruise,” the song that won them both awards

And did I mention Nelly showed up again?

Good week right? Not over. Monday, the duo celebrated their second consecutive number one for “Get Your Shine On.” That’s the first time a duo has gone number one with their first two singles since Brooks and Dunn in 1991.

And did I mention Nelly is doing a remix of that too?… (I’m joking; he’s not.)

From ambiguity to the hottest act in country music in just one year is nothing to ignore. Neither are these guys. Their newest single “Round Here” is already gaining buzz, debuting at 36 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart. Not to mention, they are currently on the “Dirt Road Diaries Tour” with superstar Luke Bryan, and will be headlining their own “Here’s To The Good Times Tour” beginning in the fall.

All that and somehow… I am still not tired of hearing “Cruise” every five minutes on the radio. That’s the power of a song. So what can we expect at CMA Fest 2014, fellas?