Ella Langley experienced a life-changing career shift in 2024 with her viral smash “You Look Like You Love Me” featuring Riley Green. Not only did the track reach No. 1 on the Billboard Country Airplay chart, but it was certified platinum by the RIAA for sales of 1 million units and won the trophy for Musical Event of the Year at the 58th annual CMA Awards.
Ella Langley Opens Up About “You Look Like You Love Me”
During the Cycle of a Song panel, as part of the 2025 Country Radio Seminar (CRS) in Nashville, Tennessee, Langley opened up about the success of “You Look Like You Love Me,” saying after she wrote the duet, she didn’t expect it was going to take off the way that it did.
“I remember walking out of the room thinking, no one’s going to understand this song, and I’m going to play it around the bonfire. And that’s probably going to be it,” she said of the song she penned with Green and Aaron Raitiere. “You [never] know what a song’s going to do until it comes out, but what this song has done, I feel like it’s just hard to predict. And it’s cool for me personally because it’s just one of the most organic things that’s happened to me as an artist and as a songwriter.”
Received Pushback For Sing-Talking Verses
For those who have not heard the track, “You Look Like You Love Me” features Langley sing-talking through some of the verses — something that the panel said received some pushback at first as that approach hadn’t been done since the release of “an old David Allen Coe” song. While the ultimate decision was to have Langley incorporate spoken word into the lyrics, her team knew there was a possibility that doing so could backfire. But, Langley wasn’t all too worried about the outcome as she admits “I’m kind of a pessimist by nature.”
“I’m kind of a pessimist by nature,” she said. “I literally think everything is going to crash and burn. So when something goes this, well, pure shock is my reaction. Pure shock.”
“I mean, risky is always scary, but the thing is, it’s like country music, at the end of the day, is just about telling good stories. And I think the fans want to hear a good story…” she added before crediting her online fanbase for taking the tune to the next level. “The reason the song did what it did is because the fans took it and they felt ownership over the song in a way where, I mean, I could not get on my TikTok. I heard myself constantly, and that’s not a good way to go to sleep….,I mean, dogs were singing it, horses were singing it, and so it felt like, yes, we were pushing it. But, it’s crazy to see when fans grab a hold of a song what can truly happen.”
“Dark Side” Of Social Media
Though “You Look Like You Love Me” was well received online, Langley says she is no stranger to falling victim to the dark side of social media.
“Along with a lot of greatness in this job. There is a dark side to it and it’s weird,” Langley admitted. “It’s weird to go on social media and see your life displayed in front of you or what people think your life is like displayed out in front of you.[My dad will be] like, ‘Ella, is this real?’ I’m like, ‘No, Dad, it’s not. Don’t believe everything. You read.’”
Langley didn’t reveal a particular example of a negative or falsified comment she received online. But she did say that while the criticism does exist it is also, unfortunately, “part of the job” of being in the public eye. Even though she’s aware that she can’t please everyone, Langley admits she hasn’t completely mastered navigating the naysayers.
“It’s a work in progress. It’s something that I’m going to have to get better at each time,” she explained. “Lucky for me, I grew up in a small town, so you can’t really say much to hurt my feelings, at this point. It’s already been said. You get thick skin that way and people are like, you signed up for this job. And I guess that’s just what I tell myself at the end of the day, it’s just part of the job.”
“Some people have a sh***y boss. I’m my own boss,” she continued. “I have weird comments sometimes, but then you just, I got a Kindle…. I read books.”
Inspiring Young Woman Around The Country
Aside from the harsh online comments, Langley knows she is also an inspiration to many young female artists around the country. Still humble, she doesn’t quite understand why some people wish to be like her as she still fangirls over the artists she looks up to.
“I still feel like I’m walking up to so many women the same way,” she shared. “And having women like Miranda Lambert’s been one in my corner and Lainey Wilson and a lot of ’em really. And the way that they shepherd me in a way where it’s, ‘Hey, this is just normal. This is a part of life. This is what it is, baby.’ And so whenever I get that opportunity to share a little knowledge of what I’ve been through, can it feel nuts to think you want to be like me? Are you sure?”
Regardless, she wouldn’t have it any other way as she’s just happy seeing her music blow up and being loved by the fans.
“I’ve been doing this for a while, I’ve opened for a lot of artists [and] I’ve played a lot of shows. I mean, this is the only thing I’ve ever wanted to do. So the biggest takeaway for me has been what it’s done for the shows and what it’s done to bring fans into these shows,” Langley said. “….it’s nuts to get to go to these shows and see them completely sold out. And when I play “You Look Like You Love Me,” it’s like they all turn to each other and sing it a little bit, like the girls have their own little girl group and the guys are like, you know that one girl we’re talking about. So for me, it’s been fun to see what it’s done for me…”
