Ella Langley’s popularity is undoubtedly high, following her saucy, viral duet with Riley Green. While she’s relatively new to the scene (Langley’s first recording only in 2021), Ella’s reputation has been carefully crafted, and it’s no accident. The Alabama-born singer introduced listeners to her smoky honky-tonk world on her first EP in 2023, Excuse The Mess. With her debut, Langley didn’t simply present herself as a gifted singer-songwriter and a confident, relatable artist figuring out life in her 20s. Now that listeners have been introduced to the ardent artist and tasted some tracks on the upcoming album, expectations couldn’t be greater. We’ve compiled a list of four elements to look out for on Langley’s first full-length studio album, hungover.
Cheeky Star Power
The hype is here for Langley, and now’s not the time to let fans down while her edgy brand is still white-hot. Through tunes like “Country Boy’s Dream Girl” and “You Look Like You Love Me,” Langley exudes a boldness that can carry new artists straight to the top in country music. Hopefully, her self-assured style will seep into more tracks on Hungover, and the album will stand the test of time and further rock the charts. The star power potential exists in Langley, and country fans are due for a new female idol. While there is an increasingly crowded field of female newcomers, in recent years, few have truly moved up the ranks with their male counterparts besides Lainey Wilson and Megan Moroney. While Wilson and Moroney have charmed listeners for a few years, fans deserve more variety and competition. Hungover is Ella Langley’s shot to join that class.
Vocal Ability
Not only does Langley’s bold brand give her the potential to move up the country music ranks, but her undeniable vocal capabilities are an asset that cannot be understated. While a handful of new female artists opt for a softer approach (Kaci Kaye Booth, Mackenzie Carpenter, Carter Faith), Langley separates herself from the pack with her gritty range and conviction through her God-given ability– even weaving in elements of rock. Two pre-released tracks from the album, “hungover” and “nicotine” prove that she’s not holding back, with both songs delivering an earnest (though not whiny) sound. She boasts impressive vocal capabilities and takes listeners on a soft journey through her compelling tracks. She has a knack for drawing out emotional notes without sounding desperate or slightly strained.
Strong Acoustic Moments
Like her debut EP, Langley has two acoustic songs on her tracklist, “cowgirl don’t cry – acoustic” and “broken in – acoustic.” If stylistic vocals like her previous acoustic tracks and poignant tunes like “Could’ve Been Her” are displayed on this upcoming album, fans are in for a quality treat. While her previous two acoustic tracks didn’t garner much attention, it feels less likely that her upcoming two tracks won’t get lost in hungover with more maturity and experience under her belt. There’s no way she’s setting herself up for failure here; Langley knows her strengths and lets them shine on softer, but no less powerful, tracks.
Continued Maturity
Noticeably, there are no additional duets on hungover besides Riley Green’s. This is an intentional shift from a handful of Langley’s previous recordings complemented with male counterparts: “That’s Why We Fight” with Koe Wetzel, “Strangers” with Kameron Marlowe, and “Beautiful Lies” with Tanner Usrey. Langley is opting to turn the page from relying on others and focusing this album on her singular voice with more introspection than we’ve seen before. After all, Langley is currently off on her first headlining tour; there’s much less need now for additional support on hungover. In addition to shining more as a solo star, listeners might expect to see more poetic growth. On a recent Spotify promo, Langley recites, “Growth is painful; growth is hard. It is beautiful, and it can make you feel hungover.” If that doesn’t give you goosebumps, you’ll need to hear it with Langley’s twang over an acoustic guitar. While Ella Langley has no need or desire to change her confident brand, with this album release, she has the maturity and experience to truly lean into this new (-ish!) chapter. Langley’s reputation and talent have led her to this precipice ahead of her album release; now, she needs to cement herself as a star who’s easy to relate to.
