Ella Langley is the recipient of Billboard‘s latest Rising Star Award. Langley was presented the trophy by her good friend, and biggest cheerleader, Lainey Wilson.
“As soon as I met her, I knew she was different,” Wilson says of Langley. “She had this spark and this go-getter attitude that I was drawn to, and the kind of attitude that it takes for anybody in this business to do it. Before I even heard her sing, I knew that she was pretty special. She’s the kind that just jumps in headfirst and gives it 190 percent. It don’t matter what it is. If that means her show, her songwriting, she’s in it, and I like people like that. There’s no doubt that she has already made her mark in this industry, and she ain’t going anywhere.
“She’s got the gut and the grits to be here as long as she wants to be, and she has become a dear friend … Any wisdom that has been passed on to me from the business, I tried to share it with Ella, and Ella seems like she’s all ears,” Wilson continues. “She wants to listen. She wants to know more and do more and be more, and that’s what makes her a superstar. I’m proud of Ella, not just for being the trailblazing artist that she is, but for the heart that she’s got to go with it.”
In her acceptance speech, Langley acknowledges how crazy her life has been in recent months, including walking away from the ACM Awards with the most wins, and having two No. 1 singles already, plus a Top 10 hit with her current single, “Weren’t For the Wind.”
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“My life has literally been insane, really the past really six to seven months,” Langley concedes. “It’s the only thing I’ve really wanted to do. It’s the only thing I’ve tried to do. It’s the only job I’ve ever had … There’s been a lot of times in my life where I’ve felt like a rookie,” Langley says. She goes on to list the times she felt like a rookie, including setting up her own sound system, getting to tour with her band in a van for the first time, writing for the first time, and putting out her first record.
“I’m so grateful for that girl and that woman that showed up, and kept showing up, because it’s brought me here today. I’m grateful for that,” she adds.
It hasn’t all been easy for Langley. The 26-year-old admits that her ACM Awards wins – the most of any artist this year – also brought some pretty significant challenges as well.
“I won’t lie, this last week has been probably one of the toughest mental health weeks I’ve had in a long time,” Langley tells Audacy. “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 just the disease of my family, really.”
Find all of Langley’s music and upcoming shows at EllaLangley.com.
Photo Credit: ACM / Rich Polk