How Florida Georgia Line’s ‘Sun Daze’ Became the Ultimate Summer Party Anthem

After establishing their reputation as country's party boys with the release of their first album Here's to the Good Times, Florida Georgia Line continued the celebrations with “Sun Daze.” The second single from their sophomore album Anything Goes became a career-defining summer party anthem for the Southern duo, thanks to its carefree sound and cheeky lyrics. Here, we explore the legacy and cultural impact of Florida Georgia Line's “Sun Daze.”

Brian Kelley and Tyler Hubbard of Florida Georgia Line co-wrote “Sun Daze” with Jesse Frasure, Cary Barlowe, and Sarah Buxton. Kelley and Hubbard were touring with rapper Nelly, who emceed the shows, and Frasure, who performed a DJ set. Halfway through the tour, Frasure invited Barlowe and Buxton to join them on the road for some songwriting sessions.

Near the end of the tour, Kelley became inspired to write a reggae-influenced number, and his fellow songwriters were enthusiastic about the change of direction. Frasure, Barlowe, and Buxton wrote the bare bones of “Sun Daze” but were nervous about going too far, in case Florida Georgia Line weren't on board. They needn't have worried, because the duo loved it. Coincidentally, Kelley had just written the lyric, “All I want to do today is wear my favorite shades and get stoned,” which helped shape the song's theme.

Producer Joey Moi, known for his work with Nickelback, helped Florida George Line's “Sun Daze” come to life, adding the reggae-inspired musical elements Kelley envisioned to give the track a cool island feel. Additionally, the bright, metallic tones of the song's extended dobro solo brought a summer festival vibe to the track. Country music rarely features extended instrumental solos, so this element also helped set “Sun Daze” further apart from other songs of its genre. The catchy melody and repetition of the chorus and post-chorus made it perfect for summer sing-alongs.

“Sun Daze” received a mixed critical reception when it was released in September 2014. Rolling Stone Australia called it a “guilty pleasure” that is “damn catchy.” However, its infectious melody also drew the ire of some critics, including Hannah Smith of Vinyl Mag. She noted that the song is “incredibly catchy in the worst way. There's nothing wrong with party songs, but there comes a time when an artist needs to evaluate the direction their career is heading. No one wants to hear middle-aged people singing about getting laid and stoned, which this song addresses multiple times.”

The lyrics were contentious for many other critics, too. Aprille Hanson of The Word on Pop Culture remarked that the lyrics are “so unimaginative that it's embarrassing to realize just how popular the duo of Tyler Hubbard and Brian Kelley has become in pop-country music.” SavingCountryMusic.com called its lyrics “aggressively awful,” adding that “talking about getting laid and stoned in a country song is simply a cry for attention, and is demographic pandering to the repressed suburban boys and girls this stupidity appeals to.”

Despite the misgivings of some critics, “Sun Daze” performed well for Florida George Line. It became the duo's fourth consecutive No. 1 song on the Billboard Country Airplay chart, making them only the second country duo after Brooks & Dunn to achieve that feat. “Sun Daze” also reached No. 3 on the Hot Country Songs chart, No. 7 on the Country Streaming Songs chart, and No. 44 on the Billboard Hot 100. It went platinum and also enjoyed success in Canada, where it reached No. 2 on the Country chart and No. 41 on the Canadian Hot 100.

The success of “Sun Daze” as a summer anthem no doubt helped the album Anything Goes debut at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 when it was released a month later. It was the band's first No. 1 album on the mainstream charts, which indicates that “Sun Daze” helped Florida Georgia Lane attract a wider mainstream audience.

Without this reggae-influenced track, Florida Georgia Line may never have collaborated with Ziggy Marley on “Life is a Honeymoon,” which was released on their 2016 album Dig Your Roots. Marley didn't hesitate to work with the U.S. duo when they reached out to his management, but perhaps he would have if they hadn't already explored reggae on “Sun Daze.”

The single also paved the way for more cross-genre experimentation on “God, Your Mama, and Me,” recorded with the Backstreet Boys, and “Meant to Be,” a collaboration with Bebe Rexha. Without the mainstream chart success of Anything Goes, driven by “Sun Daze,” these established pop acts may not have been so keen to work with Florida Georgia Line.

“Sun Daze” is a country party song with a special place in the canon of country songs that celebrate summer. Florida Georgia Line were among the pioneers of the summer-loving bro-country movement, along with Luke Bryan, Blake Shelton, and Jason Aldean. Their hit songs are often set against a backdrop of an endless summer where it's always the weekend and the smell of whiskey is thick in the air. “Sun Daze” has all the ingredients of a bro-country anthem. It even addresses the rap-country love affair with the lyric, “Rock a little bit of hip-hop and Haggard.”

While Florida Georgia Line's summer song “Sun Daze” and other bro-country anthems represent a trend in modern country songs, country songs with summer vibes are nothing new. The latest tracks blur genre boundaries more than traditional country summer songs do, but they all aim to help stress melt away and put listeners in a vacation state of mind. That makes them the perfect music to soundtrack time spent outdoors with friends, soaking up the sun.

Florida Georgia Line's “Sun Daze” had its critics, but ultimately, most listeners will remember it as an infectiously catchy summer anthem. It's laidback summery sound and theme of escaping responsibilities continues to resonate with country music fans more than a decade after its release. Before summer fades away, there's no better time to revisit “Sun Daze” and see what memories this Florida Georgia Line classic sparks for you.