Ella Langley.
Photo: Scott Dudelson/Getty Images
Over the past six months, Ella Langley has gone from country-music famous to being a household name. That difference means not only increased streaming numbers but also people constantly picking apart her outfit and performance choices, particularly after her song “Choosin’ Texas” beat Mariah Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas Is You” to become the longest-lasting No. 1 hit of all time. It’s been hard. “I don’t think I’ve ever had more opinions on myself in my life than I have in this last year,” she said during a show in Columbus, Ohio. “The way I look, the way I speak, the way I dress, the way I move, the way I sing, the way I write. And at first, it bothered me. I won’t even lie.” She even said she wasn’t sure how she’d manage: “If this is what it’s going to be the whole entire time, shit, I don’t know if I’m strong enough for this, Lord.”
Ultimately, Langley told the audience that she’s working to remember that “the girl they’re picking on is the girl that got me where I’m sitting today.” She implied that the online criticism was mostly classism-based. “That’s the girl that rode in a 15-passenger van night after night after night,” Langley said. “She rode in a Honda Accord, night after night after night, chasing her dream, living on bar food, living on tip-jar money. She didn’t have anything but a dream and the ability to get out and do it every single day. So I’m going to tell you right now, I was proud of that girl that everybody seems to be picking on all the time.” Hopefully she can keep that in mind as her songs continue to dominate.
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