Brian Kelley salutes heroes with ‘American Spirit’

First solo release with Big Machine drops ahead of 4th of July

Brian Kelley unfurls his first Big Machine Records solo release, waving a deeply-felt flag of patriotic pride with “American Spirit.” Arriving just in time for Independence Day, the track mixes Kelley’s signature easygoing style with a genuine admiration for the nation he loves while respecting those who protect it.

“‘American Spirit’ is a tribute to my Poppy and Uncle Mike who both served, and to all of our service members and first responders who keep us safe and free – past, present, and future,” shares Kelley. “I love our great country and will always support our brave defenders.”

Kelley and Jake Rose produced “American Spirit,” which they co-wrote alongside Blake Redferrin and Canaan Smith, as a timely salute to the ideals of freedom, bravery, and honor – especially all of those who join the hitmaker in holding them dear. With a steadfast beat, heart-on-his-sleeve lyrics, and a smooth vocal that’s tried-and-true, Kelley stands tall for the red, white, and blue.

The cover art for “American Spirit” was hand-painted by Steve Penley, who is one of America’s most celebrated artists with works exhibited worldwide. This powerful imagery resonated with Kelley whose “Poppy” – John Edward Kelley – served in the US Army during WWII and was a prisoner of war, earning two Purple Hearts. The Atlanta-based painter is also a fan of Kelley’s music which created a natural collaboration for this bold visual.

Marking a new chapter for the history-making artist-songwriter, “American Spirit” follows Kelley’s 2021 solo effort, Sunshine State of Mind which was released via Warner Music Nashville after initially signing for solo music in March 2021. He backed the wave-making release with sold out shows on his Made by the Water Tour, after an unparalleled decade-plus as one half of GRAMMY-nominated duo Florida Georgia Line. Kelley is already planning more new music in the coming months.

Under BMLG, the global superstars became the first and only country act to achieve two RIAA Diamond-certified singles with 11X Platinum, No. 1 breakout “Cruise” (the best-selling digital country single of all time – SoundScan) and 11X Platinum, No. 1 “Meant to Be” with Bebe Rexha (holding the longest reign on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart at 50 straight weeks). They tallied 19 career No. 1 singles, 16.1 billion global streams, sold more than 32.9 million tracks and 4.7 million albums worldwide, logged 1.9 billion video views, and played to over four million fans spanning massive headline tours. FGL also earned multiple CMA, ACM, and Billboard Music Awards while expanding their creative empire with thriving business initiatives like FGL House. Diversifying his enterprise, Kelley is also hands-on with projects like cult-favorite brand Tribe Kelley with wife Brittney and a partnership with Oyster City Brewing Company.

Meanwhile, Kelley is still blazing trails into new creative territory. With an official Mint Day announced yesterday (Thurs, June 30th), he and Brittney have launched their limited NFT collection, Chill Cowboy Country Club (CCCC), as the Ultimate Community for Country Music. The NFT offers 6,000 memberships in the form of Chill Cowboy or Cowgirl non-fungible tokens (NFTs) available now.

In addition, his stage production of May We All: A New Country Musical just wrapped its world premiere engagement at the Tennessee Performing Arts Center in Nashville, TN. Serving as a producer under his production company CuzBro Productions, more details are promised soon regarding a tour and concept album.

On July 22nd, the former college baseball player will aptly headline the CMT Hot Prospects summer concert series at The Battery Atlanta. Playing a f preeregame concert for fans of the 2021 World Series champions, Kelley will perform on the Georgia Power Pavilion stage in Atlanta, GA, ahead of an Atlanta Braves game. He’ll also reprise his appearance at the top of the game inside Truist Park.

Buddy Iahn
Buddy Iahn

Buddy Iahn founded The Music Universe when he decided to juxtapose his love of web design and music. As a lifelong drummer, he decided to take a hiatus from playing music to report it. The website began as a fun project in 2013 to one of the top independent news sites. Email: info@themusicuniverse.com