Maddie & Tae Announce Temporary Professional Split

Country music duo Maddie & Tae announced on Monday that they are stepping away from working together professionally after 15 years, though the pair emphasized the decision is temporary and their close friendship remains intact.

Madison Marlow Font and Taylor Dye Kerr, both 30, shared the news in an interview, describing it as a difficult but necessary shift driven by family priorities. Kerr plans to pause her music career to focus on being a stay-at-home mother to her two young children, daughter Leighton, 3, and son Chapel, 13 months, alongside her husband, Grammy-winning songwriter and producer Josh Kerr. Font, meanwhile, intends to launch a solo career, supported by her husband, Jonah Font, who will continue as a stay-at-home dad to their 2-year-old son, Forrest. "It's been such a hard, hard, honestly, heartbreaking decision," Kerr said. "This was the only dream I've ever had since I exited the womb."

The women, who met at age 15 through a shared vocal coach in 2010 and relocated to Nashville to pursue music, first gained widespread attention with their 2014 debut single "Girl in a Country Song," which topped the charts. Over the years, they released four albums and four EPs,...