A huge testament to her character on and off the stage.
As we sit in 2026, it’s hard to argue that there’s a bigger artist, not just in the genre but in music as a whole, than Ella Langely. Launching off the success of her Riley Green collaboration, “you look like you love me” throughout 2024 and 2025, as well as other hits such as “weren’t for the wind,” the Alabama native has become nothing short of a phenomenon thanks to the megahit that is “Choosin’ Texas,” And, in turn, she has captured the hearts of nearly everyone in the country and the world over the past year.
After what can only be described as one of the most unprecedented rises for a song and artist in music history, over the past 11 months, “Choosin’ Texas” went on to become the only country song by a woman to triple up and go #1 on Billboard’s Hot 100, Hot Country and Country Airplay charts simultaneously. In case that wasn’t enough, thanks to the success of her sophomore album, Dandelion, which debuted at #1 on the all-genre Billboard 200 and sold 169,000 equivalent album units in the U.S. in its first week, Langley became just the second woman in history to hold the #1 album and song in the U.S. simultaneously with a country song/album.
To cap off her massive year, last week, “Choosin’ Texas” officially stood alone as the longest-running #1 hit in U.S. history with 23 weeks, passing Mariah Carey’s long-standing record of 22 atop the all-genre Billboard Hot 100.
Simply put, Langley has been everywhere lately. Whether it’s selling out arenas across the country on her own Dandelion Tour and opening up for Morgan Wallen on his potentially record-breaking Still The Problem Tour or scoring collabs with major brands such as American Eagle, Shiner Bock beer, Noyz perfume and more.
One thing, in particular, that stands out is just how many major connections with fellow artists she’s made over the years. Whether it’s huge collaborations with the likes of Koe Wetzel, Morgan Wallen, Miranda Lambert and Riley Green, writing with the likes of stars such as Ernest, Hardy and more or elevating fellow female acts on the Dandelion Tour such Laci Kaye Booth and Gabriella Rose, it’s become more than apparent that Langley has been making a huge impact with her collaborators.
One artist, in particular, that has nothing but love for the “Be Her” singer is none other than Kaitlin Butts.
In case you’re unfamiliar with Butts (though you should be), she’s undeniably one of the most talented acts in today’s new crop of female artists in the genre today. Known primarily for her feature on Flatland Cavalry’s certified-gold hit, “A Life Where We Work Out,” Butts has proven time and time again that she brings a whole lot more to the table than simply being a collaborator with her husband’s Texas band. Her 2022 project, What Else Can She Do, was downright phenomenal (#3 on our 2022 Albums of the Year list), and she followed it up with, in my opinion, her best work to date in 2024 on Roadrunner!
The past year has been particularly successful for the Oklahoma native. In addition to the success of “You Ain’t Gotta Die,” which went mega viral on TikTok, Butts would sign with Republic Records last October. In case that wasn’t enough, she’d score her first-ever headlining gig at a festival at Oregon’s Jackalope Jamboree back in June and play on the platform stage at Nissan Stadium at CMA Fest, performing her new track, “Never Really Mine” and the aforementioned hit single.
Throughout 2026, she’s quickly become a close friend with Langley, not only opening up for her on the first leg of the Dandelion Tour, but also starring in the star-studded music video for “Choosin’ Texas.”
And during a recent conversation with us here at Whiskey Riff, Butts would open up about her relationship with the megastar.
Discussing her stint on the Dandelion Tour, Butts would call the experience “surreal,” praising the atmosphere she creates during each and every show.
“Being on tour with Ella Langley is a crazy sentence to get to say because you would get out there and be like, ‘I’m on the biggest tour in America right now. I mean, she’s the hottest thing in music, and it felt pretty surreal to get to just talk to her like she’s a pal — which she is.
It was wild to go out there every night in front of her crowd; it was so warm. Everyone is very receptive. I know her music before was kind of more rock ‘n roll, but the audience and the way that the show felt, it was just so light-feeling. Every night, I’d just feel so light and airy. It felt really freeing.”
With that being said, however, it wasn’t just the atmosphere created by Langley and her team. The “Hunt You Down” singer would then go on to note just how receptive Langley’s crowds are to her and her music. Comparing her past opening gigs for the likes of Lainey Wilson and Morgan Wade, Butts would explain how open they are to hear women’s voices in the genre.
“Her audiences were really fun to play for. They were just there from the start of the show — just locked in. I love playing with women because I feel like the audience is already kind of opened up to a woman in country. Whenever I play with Lainey [Wilson] or even Morgan Wade, their audiences are already open to listening to women talk and what their music will be. That’s always a good feeling for me to just kind of know there’s an open heart in the audience [that’s] willing to take it in.”
From there, Butts would then dive into the day-to-day experiences touring with the “weren’t for the wind” singer.
Here, she’d detail how involved and connected the Alabama native is to all of her openers on tour. In particular, she’d highlight a day that Langley took her and Laci Kaye Booth jewelry shopping on a whim, also sharing a fun story about going to a coffee shop and having all of their faces added to the top of the coffee.
“Every night there was just always something fun going on. Ella would set up and her team would give us boots or hats. We’d have coffees with our faces on it. Ella took me and Laci Kaye Booth jewelry shopping one day, and it just was like, ‘Hey, get in the car. We’re going to get coffee and jewelry.’ I’m like, ‘This is so weird, but okay!'”
Finally, the Oklahoma native would reflect on the impact Langley has had on her as a friend. Saying how grateful she is to have her in her life, Butts would admit that she looks up to her despite being a few years older. Particularly, she’d highlight Langley’s bravery and transparency as an artist, pointing to her being open about her mental health struggles last year.
“I just feel really lucky and grateful to have her. I know she’s younger than me, but I really do look up to her as a friend and as an artist, because she’s handling it really gracefully. I think also digging her heels in at times and saying, ‘I’m not doing that,’ and just kind of standing up for her self, I feel like that is something that’s hard to do — especially when you’re finally given something that you’ve been wanting this whole entire time.
To really take a step back and pump the brakes at times and say, ‘I need to take care of myself,’ I think that’s something that I’ve wanted to mirror and just watch out for.”
Before you go, watch Butts and Langley perform “Butterfly Season” live together on the Dandelion Tour.
@kaitlinbutts forgot I was on stage and not in my bedroom for a sec @Ella Langley #dandeliontour ♬ original sound – kaitlinbutts
