Introduction
It’s been a monumental year for country music’s rising star, Ella Langley. The 26-year-old Hope Hull, Alabama native, who burst onto the scene with her viral duet “You Look Like You Love Me” featuring Riley Green, recently celebrated the one-year anniversary of its massive success. With a critically acclaimed debut album, Hungover, and an impressive five ACM trophies already under her belt – including New Female Artist of the Year – Langley has firmly established herself as an artist to watch.
Despite her rapid ascent, Langley remains grounded, often speaking candidly about the surreal nature of her journey. This was especially evident when she recounted a recent, unforgettable encounter with one of country music’s living legends.
Last month’s ACM Awards were a career-defining night for Langley. Not only did she deliver two standout performances, but she also swept the awards, taking home more trophies than any other artist. Amidst the excitement, which included performing alongside her idol Miranda Lambert, Langley had a truly “nuts” experience: meeting the iconic Reba McEntire.
McEntire, one of country’s best-selling artists and a record-breaking 18-time ACM Awards host, left Langley utterly star-struck. Speaking with Taste of Country Nights, Langley hilariously recalled the moments leading up to her encounter with the 70-year-old “Fancy” singer.
“My team leaned over to me and said, ‘Prepare yourself. It’s Reba,'” Langley recounted with a giggle. “I couldn’t move anymore, and she walked right past me. And I just looked at her and I was gonna let her keep walking, but I couldn’t.”
Completely relatable, Langley, already flustered, managed to call out, “Reba, Reba — uh, Miss Reba!” She was completely floored when the 19-time ACM Award winner not only turned around but also addressed her by her full name.
“She knew who I was before I could introduce myself, and I was just stunned,” Langley exclaimed. “All I could get out was, ‘I love you, I love you.'”
“That was a cool moment,” she said, perhaps with a touch of understatement. “That was nuts.”
While still basking in the glow of her Hungover success, Ella Langley recently gave fans another reason to cheer. The five-time ACM Award winner took to social media to tease a snippet of what appears to be a new, unreleased love ballad, seemingly titled “I’ve Never Met Anyone Like You.” Fans are eagerly anticipating what’s next from this breakout star.