Introduction:
Ella Langley Opens Up About Her Relentless Drive — and the Beauty of Imperfection
From her ACM Award-winning success to her unexpected passion for dog training, Ella Langley proves that there’s little she can’t master once she sets her mind to it. During her recent appearance on Friday Night Takeover with Rob + Holly, the breakout country artist opened up about her determination, perfectionism, and how she’s learning to embrace flaws — both in life and in her music.
“This is kind of an annoying thing about me, but it has gotten me where I’m at in my life, so I have to appreciate it,” Langley admitted with a laugh. “I don’t like to be bad at the things that I want to be good at.”
That drive, she explained, extends to nearly everything she does — whether it’s songwriting, performing, or even playing a friendly backyard game. “It’s to a level where it’s like, I just will have to learn how to get better at this,” she said. “I mean, if it’s down to playing cornhole — literally, I’m very serious about the game of cornhole.”
But even as she strives for excellence, Langley says she’s learned to value imperfection, especially in her art. “I just care so much about the outcome,” she shared. “There’s a point where I feel good about where it is with the song. I love the beauty of imperfection. There are certain kinds of music — like Pop — where heavy tuning makes sense. But for me, just letting it be a little unperfect… the imperfections make it a song.”
Langley also revealed how deeply involved she is in every aspect of her career, from songwriting and stage lighting to music videos. “With my songwriting, with how a song sounds, with the lights on stage, with the music video — I have my hand in literally everything,” she said. “I’m like, ‘It has to be this exact way.’ And it’s quite annoying because you can’t always make everything be exactly the way that you want it to be — but I can damn sure try.”
Langley’s relentless dedication and self-awareness have helped her stand out as one of country music’s most promising new voices. And as her fans know, whether she’s perfecting her craft or training her pups, Ella Langley doesn’t do anything halfway.
To hear the full conversation, tune in to the complete interview with Rob + Holly on Audacy’s Friday Night Takeover.