The song that Ella Langley feels like started it all for her.
When you’re in the early stages of your career as a musician, there is, without a doubt, a trial-and-error period. Whether you have not yet found your proper vocal range or you’re singing about topics that don’t resonate with you, it’s very rare for an artist to come out of the gate with the sound that defines their career.
When Langley won the Academy of Country Music’s New Female Artist of the Year award this year, many fans began to dig back in the archives to the early days of Ella Langley’s career. In 2017, Langley released a single called “Clear the Clouds,” but she does not consider that her debut single. The following year, in 2018, “Perfect” was released as her debut single.
The sound we hear in those singles is very different from the edgy twang we get from the Alabama native today, but hey, that’s growth. While Langley hardly acknowledges that those singles fans became infatuated with after her first ACM win, there is one song that she released prior to her Excuse The Mess record that Langley still holds close to her heart, despite its different sound from her music today.
At the end of April, Langley told a Charlotte, North Carolina crowd that she considers “If You Have To” her first official single, which kicked off her career and growth as an artist.
“This next song is the first single I ever put out. Well, pretty much. The one that I call a single. I put this out, and I consider it my first one because this was the first song that changed something in my brain as a writer, as an artist. This was the first time that I experienced something, and I had literally nothing f****** else to do but write a song about it.
And then I put it out. And if it wasn’t for this next one, I would not have been able to afford a band on my first tour, my second tour, or even the third one. I put this out as an independent artist, and those of you who have been listening to this song since then, and even if you’ve listened to it since, thank you so much. Thank you. This one’s called ‘If You Have To.'”
@whiskeyriff @Ella Langley touching on the importance of “If You Have To” for her career. // 🎥: @paint85e #whiskeyriff #ellalangley #countrymusic ♬ original sound – Whiskey Riff
Langley released “If You Have To” in 2021, and the heartbreak ballad is filled with so much raw emotion. Given that Langley said she experienced something she had to write about, it leads one to believe the sad lyrics are about a past lover who crushed her.
In the lyrics, Langley finds out that her man has been unfaithful to her, and when confronted about his wrongdoings, instead of owning his actions, the man acts like she’s doing him wrong. While Langley knows that she’s not wrong for confronting him, she now has to cope with the fact that this man is speaking ill about her, and she’s almost accepting that he will twist the situation to make him look like he’s still a good guy. She sees that she can do nothing at that point but move on with her life.
“Hate me if you have to
If it helps you sleep at night
Paint me in whatever light
Baby, that you want to
Point the finger, pass the blame
Bend the truth and drag my name
Through this whole bar, like it ain’t hard
Do whatever makes it better
Makes it feel like I never loved you
Hate me if you have to…”
It’s heartwarming that Ella Langley still holds this song to her chest and still performs it during her concerts today. You never forget the song that changed everything for you as an artist.
Turn it up.
