Everyone needs a friend like Ernest.
There’s no doubt that the last year has been nothing short of an absolute whirlwind for Ella Langley. While most of the music world was introduced to her through the record-breaking success of “Choosin’ Texas” over the past three months, the Alabama native has been making waves in the genre for the better part of three years at this point.
As most country fans know, before “Choosin’ Texas” became the longest-running #1 hit by a female country artist on the all-genre Billboard Hot 100 (10 weeks and counting), the only country song by a woman to triple up and go #1 on Billboard’s Hot 100, Hot Country and Country Airplay chart simultaneously and just the seventh country song solely recorded by a woman to go #1 on the Hot 100 in the history of the chart, Langley scored massive success with the likes of her Riley Green-collaboration, “you look like you love me” as well as “weren’t for the wind.”
During the time period before “Choosin’ Texas,” however, Langley was fighting her own personal battles. Famously, she’d open up shortly after the 2025 ACM Awards, where she brought home four trophies on the night, noting that the week was one of the hardest mental health weeks she has had in a long time.
“I won’t lie, this last week has been probably one of the toughest mental health weeks I’ve had in a long, in a long time. Which is crazy because so many good things are happening, so many things I’ve prayed for and dreamed about. It’s just a struggle, it’s a disease in my family, really. I think it’s important to talk about it and to share that, just because I might seem like that, I’m on top of a mountain right now doesn’t look like that all the time.”
Later in August, she’d also cancel shows due to sickness, explaining that, in general, she feels overwhelmed and needs some time off. She also quoted the Bible verse Matthew 11:28, which talks about being “weary and burdened.”
These trials and tribulations eventually led to her writing one of Dandelion’s lead singles, “Loving Life Again,” which she described as the “most sentimental” song she’s written.
“It’s probably the… one of the most sentimental. I went through a time and a half last year. I took a couple of weeks off, and I got to refine myself. I got to have a lot of talks with the Lord, and I got to be re-grateful for all of the things that he’s given me.”
Last night, just a month removed from her record-breaking seven wins at the ACM Awards, Langley had a bit of a full-circle moment with none other than Ernest. Teaming up with the “Flower Shops” singer for his Stars for Second Harvest benefit concert, she’d sit down with him later in the set to perform “Loving Life Again,” a song the two wrote alongside Devin Dawson.
Introducing the track to the sold-out crowd at Ryman Auditorium, the Alabama native noted how much of a role Ernest played for her during that time period. Calling him a “confidant,” Langley explained that he helped her vocalize all the problems she was facing.
“I don’t know. He just became a confidant for me — somebody who said all the things I needed to say to get it all off my chest. Last year, I hit a weird spot in my life; I tend to fall upon those, as we know.”
In fact, she’d explain that the title and hook of “Loving Life Again” was actually born from Ernest asking her how she was doing, which prompted the pair to complete the song with Dawson. Additionally, Langley would express that it blows her mind how much the song has impacted people since its release.
“When I came back from that, he came over, and he asked me how I was doing. And I said, ‘Well, just like that, I’m back to lovin’ life again.’ From right there, we came up with that little melody and took it to our write with Mr. Devin Dawson that next week. To see what this song is doing blows my mind. Even if this song never did anything, to get to sing this song every single night, it fixes me as a person.”
The pair would go on to perform the song together before Langley finished the night with smash hits, “Choosin’ Texas” and “Weren’t For The Wind.”
The Dandelion Tour Dates
6/18/2026 Oklahoma City, OK Zoo Amphitheatre (+,&)
6/19/2026 Independence, MO Cable Dahmer Arena (+,&)
6/25/2026 Salem, VA Salem Civic Center (+,&)
6/26/2026 Wilmington, NC Live Oak Bank Pavilion at Riverfront Park (+,&)
7/23/2026 Pikeville, KY Appalachian Wireless Arena (#, %)
7/24/2026 Cary, NC Koka Booth Amphitheatre (#, %)
7/25/2026 North Charleston, SC North Charleston Coliseum (#, %)
7/30/2026 Gilford, NH BankNH Pavilion (@, %)
7/31/2026 Canandaigua, NY CMAC (@, %)
8/13/2026 Austin, TX Moody Center (#, &)
8/14/2026 Corpus Christi, TX Hilliard Center (#, &)
8/15/2026 Fort Worth, TX Dickies Arena (#, &)
@ Kameron Marlowe
+ Dylan Marlowe
# Kaitlin Butts
& Gabriella Rose
% Laci Kaye Booth
