Making history. A little over a week ago, Morgan Wallen and Ella Langley released their new duet called “I Can’t Love You Anymore,” which Ella wrote with Austin Goodloe and Joybeth Taylor. It finds them in a place of heartache, knowing they shouldn’t be together but not being able to fully let go.
It really does sound like a mix of both of their styles and is very radio-friendly, and considering the fact that both of their careers are absolutely on fire right now, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that this song is going to be huge. It debuted at #7 on the Billboard Hot 100 this week, and according to Billboard, it’s the “first song by two core-country acts in lead roles ever to debut in the chart’s top 10.”
In addition, Ella and Morgan are the first two acts primarily recording country music (both in lead roles) to be a Hot 100 top 10 hit since Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton’s released “Islands in the Stream,” which topped that chart for two weeks in October and November of 1983… rare company, indeed. If you find your name in the same sentence with Kenny and Dolly, you’re clearly doing something right…
Ella’s solo hit “Choosin’ Texas” also finds its way back to the top spot on the Hot 100 this week:
There have been several other collabs with country-related artists that have reached the top of the Hot 100 over the last four decades, though those were not with acts “equally billed as leads.” In 2024, Post Malone’s song “I Had Some Help,” which features Wallen, led the chart for a total of six weeks. The year prior in 2023, Zach Bryan’s song which features Kacey Musgraves, “I Remember Everything,” debuted at the top of the Hot 100. During the 2000s, Carrie Underwood recorded Randy Travis’ “I Told You So,” this time with him as the featured artist, and it cracked the top 10.
There were several other artists who did in the ’90s, as well as duos who did it before Kenny and Dolly in the ’80s, though all of those had their duet partner as a feature, not a co-lead, so to speak, like Kenny and Dolly and now Ella and Morgan.
I had no doubt it was going to be a massive song from the second it was announced, their star power is just too great right now, and it’s a very catchy song and they sound really good together. The marks Ella’s third Hot 100 top 10 and Wallen’s 19th.
Don’t be surprised if you see it take the top spot before too long…
“I Can’t Love You Anymore”
‘Still The Problem Tour’ with Morgan Wallen & Ella Langley
5/9 Indianapolis, IN Lucas Oil Stadium
5/16 Gainesville, FL Ben Hill Griffin Stadium
5/30 Denver, CO Empower Field at Mile High
6/6 Pittsburgh, PA Acrisure Stadium
6/20 Chicago, IL Soldier Field
6/27 Clemson, SC Clemson Memorial Stadium
7/18 Baltimore, MD M&T Bank Stadium
8/1 Philadelphia, PA Lincoln Financial Field
