Introduction
It’s easy to get caught up in the polished perfection of modern media. From heavily edited photos to studio-perfect tracks, we’re surrounded by an illusion of flawlessness. But for country artist Ella Langley, true artistry lies in the honest, unfiltered moments.
During a chat on The Bobby Bones Show, the conversation turned to how social media has shifted the landscape of live performances. With every moment of a show being recorded and shared online, the pressure for artists to be perfect is at an all-time high. Ella completely agrees, and she believes this obsession with perfection has changed how we listen to music.
“Everything’s so perfect now,” she explained. “Every picture’s edited, every song has autotune — even instruments. People hear a real live vocal and think, ‘Wait… that sounds different.’ They’ve forgotten what it’s supposed to sound like.”
This is why Ella has a strict policy against using live autotune in her shows. She’s seen plenty of artists use it to make their voices flawless on stage, but that’s a line she won’t cross. When another artist told her, “One day, you’ll start running tune in your show,” her response was a firm, “No, I won’t.”
For Ella, the beauty of a live show is in its authenticity. If she’s out of breath, forgets a lyric, or her voice isn’t exactly pitch-perfect, she sees it as part of the experience. “That’s the fun of a live show,” she said. “You get the real thing. You see the artist as they are, not just a perfect version of them.”
This dedication to her craft and genuine connection with her fans is clearly paying off. In 2025, she was the most nominated and most awarded artist at the ACM Awards, with wins for New Female Artist of the Year, Single of the Year, Musical Event of the Year, and Visual Media of the Year for her smash hit “You Look Like You Love Me” with Riley Green. Her solo single “Weren’t For The Wind” also went RIAA Gold and became her first solo No. 1.
Now, she’s sharing the stage with Morgan Wallen and selling out her own Still Hungover headline shows, proving night after night that the magic of live music is found in its raw, real moments.