Strong

Tyler Hubbard took his time delivering his eponymous solo debut, teasing out the record with a succession of singles prior to its January 2023 release. Strong, on the other hand, appeared rather swiftly: 15 months after Tyler Hubbard, not long after its first single, "Back Then Right Now," scaled the Billboard Country charts. Strong benefits from its quick conception, playing into Hubbards chief strength: hes relaxed without seeming mellow. Retaining the same chilled-out vibe as the best of Florida Georgia Line, the singer whittles away the beery excesses while slowly stepping away from the party-hearty rhythms that fueled his former bands prime. Hubbard -- who had a hand in writing every one of the albums 13 songs -- doesnt shy away from incorporating electric elements in his production, yet those sequenced drums and the synth gloss often arrive in service of ballads and smooth pop, the kinds of tunes designed to be humming away in the background somewhere. Hubbard delivers such sweet melodies as "Take Me Back" with ease, but he sounds best when theres a livelier pulse to the production. Hes switched booming arena beats for a smooth, new wave gloss, an aesthetic that gives the sunny nostalgia of "Back Then Right Now" and "American Mellencamp" a modern sheen, one that echoes on the insistent opener "Wish You Would." The cool veneer makes it clear that Hubbard isnt particularly interested in living in yesteryear. Instead, he seems comfortable making unapologetically polished, finely crafted modern country-pop -- the kind that emphasizes pop in its craft and production but still plays as pure country. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine