Florida Georgia Line's pop-influenced sound and predictable lyrics make them perhaps the most polarizing mainstream country act going today, and that's especially apparent in their latest video.
Videos by Wide Open Country
Sure, traditionally-minded fans of Hank Williams and his grandson Hank III have been loudly proclaiming that talent skipped a generation for awhile now. Conversely, even Hank Jr. doubters are hardly as vicious online as the purists who loathe FGL's Tyler Hubbard and Brian Kelley. Shoot, there's even an obvious Bocephus fan in Wheeler Walker Jr. who bolsters his audience by taking potshots at bro-country's big dogs.
Coincidental or not, the duo mocks a few of their alleged crimes against country in the new "Smooth" music video. Cliche lyrics about an unnamed woman's curves back footage of a surrealistic Elvis wedding in Las Vegas. In addition, a verbal exchange devolves into Hubbard and Kelley repeatedly calling each other "bro" in an obvious bro-country song. They're both in on the joke throughout, and it's a real zinger.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QZD5TCFpNXg
Can devoted haters make it far enough into a five minute mini-movie to begrudgingly applaud Hubbard and Kelley's self-aware humor? Probably not. Was the band having fun rather than constructing a meaningful retort to critics? Probably so.
READ MORE: How Florida Georgia Line's "Cruise" Changed Country Music
At least one thing's certain now in the pop versus roots discourse. Florida Georgia Line are about as good at mocking themselves as comment section trolls or foul-mouthed traditionalists.
