Ella Langley Reveals Why She Won't Give Her Past Self Advice

Ella Langley says there is ‘absolutely nothing’ she would tell her 2023 self about the success that was coming.

If she did, she told SiriusXM The Highway, that version of her ‘would combust.’

The country star sat for the interview as she prepares to walk into the biggest night of her career at the 60th Annual CMA Awards on Nov. 18.

Langley leads this year’s nominations with nine, including Entertainer of the Year, Album of the Year and Female Vocalist of the Year.

She already took home three CMA trophies last year.

Her sophomore album, Dandelion, debuted at #1 on the all-genre Billboard 200 with 169,000 equivalent album units sold in its first week in the U.S.

That made her just the second woman in history to hold the #1 album and #1 song in the U.S. simultaneously with a country album and country song.

The song in question is ‘Choosin’ Texas,’ released on Oct. 17, 2025.

It is now the longest-running #1 hit by a female artist this century.

It is the only country song by a woman to triple up and go #1 on Billboard’s Hot 100, Hot Country Songs and Country Airplay charts at the same time.

In September 2026, it became the longest-running #1 hit in U.S. history with 23 weeks atop the all-genre Billboard Hot 100.

That broke Mariah Carey’s long-standing record of 22 weeks.

‘Choosin’ Texas’ is also the first song in history to remain at #1 on the Hot 100 for over half a calendar year — 26 weeks.

It has dominated the chart throughout 2026, allowing only nine other songs to top the chart so far this year.

Those include Taylor Swift’s ‘Patient Zero’ and ‘I Knew It, I Knew You,’ Drake’s ‘Janice STFU’ and Bad Bunny’s ‘DtMF.’

Langley’s rise started with songs like ‘Country Boy’s Dream Girl’ and ‘paint the town blue.’

Her breakout single with Koe Wetzel, ‘That’s Why We Fight,’ was released in April 2023.

That was one of the first songs of hers she heard on the radio — a huge milestone for any artist.

In 2024, she had her first major hit with the Riley Green collaboration, ‘you look like you love me.’

Other hits followed: ‘weren’t for the wind.’

Then came ‘Choosin’ Texas,’ which captured the hearts of nearly everyone in the country and the world over the past year.

It has all happened incredibly quickly — in a span of just three years.

Langley has spoken publicly about some of her personal struggles in adjusting to this newfound fame and success.

During the SiriusXM interview, she was asked what she would tell her 2023 self when she first released ‘That’s Why We Fight’ with Koe Wetzel.

Her answer was direct: there is ‘absolutely nothing’ she would tell her younger self.

Because if she knew everything that came with the success, ‘she would combust.’

The Whiskey Riff report on the interview used that quote as its headline: ‘I Think She Would Combust.’

Langley shows no signs of slowing down anytime soon.

She is set to perform at the CMA Awards on Nov. 18, airing live from Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena at 8-11 p.m.

ET/PT on ABC and Disney+.

The show will be available for on-demand streaming the next day on Hulu.

Lainey Wilson returns as host for the third year.

Other performers announced in the first round include Miranda Lambert, Kacey Musgraves, Cody Johnson, Tim McGraw, Zach Top, The Red Clay Strays and Tucker Wetmore.

Tim McGraw is performing in celebration of his induction into the Country Music Hall of Fame.

Miranda Lambert comes into the telecast with seven nominations, bringing her career total to 70 CMA nominations — the most for any female artist in the show’s history.

Cody Johnson is the reigning Male Vocalist of the Year with four nominations this year.