Add two more names to the recent calls for political unity: country stars Tim McGraw and Tyler Hubbard of the Florida Georgia Line are making their own with their new song, “Undivided”, singing “I think it’s time to come together”. Despite the time it may seem, music was not inspired by the recent Capitol riot and Donald Trump’s impeachment trial. Hubbard started writing “Undivided” while being quarantined on his tour bus in his garage after testing positive for COVID-19, and the musicians announced the song the day before the riot, January 5. Still, the parallels between his letter and the fixing of his wings on the unit after the riot seem a little strange. “May the good God bring us together / Even this country that we love / indivisible”, sings the pair in the chorus. McGraw calls the political division even more directly on the bridge, singing, “I’m tired of looking left or right / So I’m just looking up.”
McGraw and Hubbard’s music comes after the riot exposed some divisions in country music as well – starting with Hubbard’s own band. Brittney Kelley, wife of Hubbard’s Florida Georgia Line bandmate Brian Kelley, posted on Instagram on January 6, apparently in support of the Capitol rioters. “God, please protect our country and the people who fight for our freedom every day 🙏🏽,” she wrote. “Praying for peace and unity for all 🇺🇸.” In another post, Kelley later clarified: “I don’t believe in violence or mobs / services rioting or breaking into buildings” and “I don’t believe ‘patriots’ are the people who are breaking into the building.” However, in the meantime, Brittany, the wife of country star Jason Aldean, was using his Instagram to share the contested conspiracy that the antifa had led the mutiny rather than Trump’s supporters. (Instagram removed the photo she posted again.) “I have AWESOME conversations with my liberal friends and we can agree to disagree,” Brittany Aldean later wrote in her Instagram story on January 10. “It’s the people who are not willing to listen to that guy, my ass. “(In turn, Hubbard’s wife, Hayley, vocally supported President-elect Joe Biden on his social networks. And for Washington Post, McGraw and his wife, Faith Hill, donated to the Biden campaign.)
However, not all country musicians were so quick to get into the unity movement. Maren Morris and Mickey Guyton made an exchange on Twitter calling for the riots shortly after they happened, with Guyton writing, “I am completely disgusted. Do these boys still bet on blue? Asking a friend. ”Morris answered, “And how do the wives of some singers not conveniently know the difference between marching for racial injustice and the Nazis violating our Capitol because their guy didn’t win? 🙄. ”Guyton answered, “I know exactly who you’re talking about”, with a GIF by Megan Thee Stallion.