Another new one.
It’s been nothing short of a star-studded week at the Ryman. Less than 24 hours after Ernest wrapped up his back-to-back nights at the Mother Church, which featured apperances from Dierks Bentley, Jamey Johnson, Dean Dillon, Rhett Atkins, David Lee Murphy and more, last night, Ella Langley tried her best to match the star power on the first night of her own back-to-back shows.
Early in the show, it seemed as if the “weren’t for the wind” singer was keeping it fairly simple, delivering past hits such as “Country Boy’s Dream Girl,” “girl you’re taking home,” “nicotine,” as well as her hot new single co-written with Miranda Lambert, “Choosin’ Texas.” which debuted last week at #7 on Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart.
That all changed half-way through the set when the Alabama native surprised the crowd and brought out none other than Ernest, just one night after his set of shows, to perform a brand new track they wrote together titled, “Loving Life Again.”
Stepping on stage to greet Langley, Ernest was met by a huge roar from the Ryman crowd once again, and quickly remarked, “I’ve seen this before,” before the “Never Met Anyone Like You” singer replied by saying:
“You were just here.”
Introducing “Loving Life Again,” Langley would note that it’s yet another song that will appear on her highly-anticipated new album, which she confirmed is coming next year, before telling the crowd it was the first time she’s ever played the track live.
“This is one that is on the next record. I’ve never played it live. We’ve only sang it together the day we wrote it and maybe two other times from that. So we’re gonna test it out here tonight for y’all. This is really about the whole experience I just shared with you. This one’s called ‘Loving Life Again.'”
“Loving Life Again” finds Langley learning to live her life for herself in the hopeful teaser. Setting the stage in the first verse, it’s clear that she’s grappling with the fallout of something major, a relationship or otherwise, where she notes that it’s just like her to get into her own head and make a mess of things.
“Seasons come and seasons go I guess
Ain’t it just like me making all this mess
Of my head again
I got memories I like to think of
When this big ‘ol world gets a bit too much
When days are long I drift away
I play that song I used to play
When skies are always summertime blue”
Realizing this, she dreams of returning to the things that make her life whole. Thinking about being back home, she finds peace in reminiscing about riding her quarter horse while riding through the Alabama pines.
“And just like that I’m back to loving life again
Dreaming dreams about back home, riding on the wind
When I close my eyes, I find some peace in the back of my mind
In between them pines
When I’m jumpin’ on that quarter horse and then
Just like that I’m back to loving life again”
In a year that’s been filled with ups and downs, ranging from the highs of leading the upcoming CMA Awards with 6 nominations to the lows of taking a month off in September due to ongoing health issues, it’s great to see Langley return to the stage and deliver some stellar new songs as of late.
Though Langley would not reveal a release date for “Loving Life Again,” it’s safe to assume that it will appear alongside recent releases such as the HARDY collaboration, “Never Met Anyone Like You,” and “Choosin’ Texas” as well as her other recently teased track from earlier in the month, “I Gotta Quit” on her upcoming record next year.
Watch here:
@hanleyriggs @Ella Langley and @Ernest ♬ original sound – Hanley Riggs
