Riley Green is inching closer to the top spot on the charts with his “Don’t Mind If I Do” duet with Ella Langley. The song follows their previous collaboration, “You Look Like You Love Me,” which just won three new CMA Awards . Green, who didn’t originally plan on Langley joining him on “Don’t Mind If I Do,” understands why fans are gravitating towards their two songs together so much.
“You don’t see it a lot anymore,” Green explains on Country Countdown USA. “I think that’s what drew fans to these songs. You want to believe the lyrics are true. Us writing and performing these songs, it came easy for us. We’re both from Alabama. We had a lot of the same influences.”
Still, even Green acknowledges that it’s not common for two singers to have two big hits together, especially nearly back-to-back.
“I don’t think people realize how rare it is for both of us to have two big hits together, and we were on tour together,” Green says, referring to his Damn Country Music Tour. “We got to travel the entire year doing those two songs. It was a lot of fun. You could tell the excitement of fans.”
Riley Green Reveals If He Would Do Another Duet With Ella Langley
The third time could be the charm for Green and Langley. After two hit singles, the “Worst Way” singer says he isn’t opposed to doing another duet with Langley.
“It would be really difficult not to try to do another song with Ella because that’s really worked well,” Green says. Green goes on to say that, while he is open to the idea, he wants any song that he does with any artist to take happen organically.
“I think any collaboration that I do has got to be something that’s really organic,” Green says. “Just somebody that I have a relationship with, somebody I’m friends with, somebody I’m a fan of, and has the same musical inspirations that I do. I think me and Ella grew up the same way, and I think fans can tell when it’s real. There’s certainly some collaborations that go through management and labels and the proper channels, and I’ve never done it that way. It’s always been somebody I’m friends with that says, ‘Hey, I like this song. Wanna be a part of it?’”
@everythingnash @Riley Green is excited about his future in country music, after winning 3 #cmaawards with @Ella Langley. #cmaawards #countrymusic #rileygreen #ellalangley ♬ original sound – EverythingNash
Riley Green Admits Surprise At His Own Success
Perhaps no one is more surprised than Green that he has had so much success in country music, beginning with “There Was This Girl,” out in 2018.
“It’s a crazy thing,” Green says. “I can honestly say I never thought I’d have a song on radio, or a record deal. It still feels crazy to get to come to these things. It really does. And to get to see all of the performers, and all these people that I’m a huge fan of. To get the recognition we got tonight is a really big deal. And probably more than anything, it’s motivating. Makes you want to keep playing 100-plus shows a year, and write as many songs as you can, and keep putting out music.
“Because something’s working,” he adds. “And I don’t know what it is, but I’m gonna do as much of it as I can.”
Photo: CMA / Kayla Schoen