Ella Langley may be music's newest It girl, but that doesn't mean she's winning the popularity contest.
The 27-year-old country music newcomer, who's experiencing a mainstream breakthrough with her megahit "Choosin' Texas," is also facing a wave of public scrutiny amid her rise to fame.
"I don't think I've ever had more opinions on myself in my life than I have in this last year," Langley said at a Sept. 25 concert 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."
Langley's candid remarks come amid a career high for the CMA Award-winning singer. Earlier this week, "Choosin' Texas" racked up its 24th week at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, extending its historic streak as the longest-running
hit of all time on the chart.
And at Sunday's MTV Video Music Awards, Langley won her first moon person for best country video.
But these accolades are belied by an uptick in online criticism, with several commenters blasting Langley's meteoric success and questioning her talent. The quip, "'Choosin' Texas'? Never heard of it," has even emerged on social media as a shorthand for fans' distaste.
"If this is what I'm signed up to do, I don't know about this, you know?" Langley said at her recent concert. "I signed up to sing music, and I love to do what I do, but if this is what it's going to be the whole entire time, I mean … I don't know if I'm strong enough for this."
Who is Ella Langley?
A native of Hope Hull, Alabama, Langley has been taking country music by storm since the release of her debut album, "Hungover," in 2024. The album quickly put the burgeoning singer-songwriter on the map, hitting the top 5 of Billboard's Top Country Albums chart and spawning the hit Riley Green duet "You Look Like You Love Me."
Her follow-up studio effort, "Dandelion," was released in April and signaled a tipping point in Langley's rising star status. The platinum-certified album topped the Billboard 200 chart and earned the singer her first No. 1 on the Hot 100 with lead single "Choosin' Texas."
Langley has also earned a stamp of approval from the "Queen of Country Pop," Shania Twain, who opened up about her love for the singer's music in a May interview with USA TODAY.
"She brings me back to the early country that I grew up with and was singing as a child," Twain said. "I've heard a lot of producers and writers say, 'Well, we don't want to be too country,' or, 'That's too country.' And I'm thinking, 'What is too country?' So, Ella Langley to me is really country Western, and I've missed that in the genre."
Ella Langley 'Texas' success gets backlash: 'Way overrated'
Langley has also attracted her fair share of detractors amid her musical ascent.
"Unpopular opinion, but Ella Langley is way overrated," @ysteve747 wrote on X. "Her vocals are mid at best. Not sure what all the accolades are about…."
"I'm excited for someone to end Ella Langley," another X user commented, taking aim at the weekslong reign of her song "Choosin' Texas."
"I ain't ever heard nobody said, 'Aye yo, turn on that Ella Langley,'" @s3xonthebeat wrote.
Despite the backlash, more fans have come to Langley's defense.
"Ella Langley owning that top spot after such a run is seriously impressive," X user @Natazbig wrote of the continued success of "Choosin' Texas." "What a moment for country music."
"Ella Langley's song is a hit, and her album is really good," @blaq__ wrote on Threads. "Just because you didn't tune in or consume the media because it was in your blind spot, doesn't mean it didn't happen."
For her part, Langley is learning to tune out the noise of people's opinions.
During her recent concert in Columbus, Ohio, Langley reflected on the public scrutiny she's been facing. The singer said her perspective on the criticism began to change when she thought about her younger self and the sacrifices she made while pursuing her dream.
"The girl that they're kind of picking on is the girl that got me where I'm sitting here today," Langley told concertgoers. "That's the girl that rode in a 15-passenger van night after night after night. She rode in a Honda Accord night after night after night, chased her dream, living on bar food, living on tip jar money."
It's that same determination that Langley said will help her navigate this tumultuous chapter in her career.
"[That girl] didn't have anything but a dream and the ability to get up and do it every single day," Langley said. "So, I'm going to tell you right now, I am proud of that girl that everybody seems to be picking on all the time."
Contributing: Sameen Chaudhry and Ralphie Aversa, USA TODAY
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Why Ella Langley is drowning in public scrutiny amid a career high
