Ella Langley: Chilling All the Way to the Top of the Charts
Rolling Stone • • entertainment
Key Points:
- Ella Langley’s second album, Dandelion, opens with the traditional folk song “Froggy Went a-Courtin’,” reflecting her Alabama roots and personal connection to old country songs.
- The album features lush country ballads influenced by the Urban Cowboy style of the 1980s, contrasting with the current trend of bright, twangy 1990s country sounds.
- Langley rose quickly in Nashville, breaking through with the unconventional hit “You Look Like You Love Me,” which showcased her recitative singing style and earned her the 2025 CMA Song of the Year.
- Her hit “Choosin’ Texas” made history as the first song by a female artist to simultaneously top Billboard’s Hot 100, Hot Country Songs, and Country Airplay charts, blending unrequited love themes with a catchy hook inspired by a Miranda Lambert anecdote.
- The album features collaborations with Miranda Lambert, who co-produced Dandelion and sings on “Butterfly Season,” and includes a cover of Kitty Wells’ empowering 1952 hit “It Wasn’t God Who Made Honky Tonk Angels,” highlighting Langley’s reverence for strong female country icons.
