Quote from Oladosun Joshua Segun on October 1, 2026, 7:13 AM

Ella Langley is picking herself above the skeptic. The country singer recently looked back at the criticism she has endured along the way, despite her recent successes with her song “Choosin’ Texas” that beat Mariah Carey’s 22-week streak at the top of the Billboard Hot 100 chart earlier this month, becoming the longest-running No. 1 song in history.

"I don't think I've ever had more opinions on myself in my life than I have in this last year," as seen in a video posted to social media, Langley informed the audience of her performance on September 25 in Columbus, Ohio. "The way I look, the way I speak, the way I dress, the way I move, the way I sing, the way I write."

"At first it bothered me," the 27-year-old said.

“I was like, ‘What am I going to do about this? If this is what I'm signing up to do, I don't know about this,’” she added. “I signed up to sing music, and I love to do what I do, but if this is what it's going to be the whole entire time, I mean s--t, I don't know if I'm strong enough for this."

But when Langley considered the younger version of herself, her viewpoint completely changed. In May, she earned a record-breaking seven prizes at the Academy of Country Music Awards, including Artist-Songwriter of the Year.

“I started to think about the girl that they're picking on is the girl that got me where I'm sitting here today," the audience applauded the country artist after she stated that. "That's the girl that rode in a 15-passenger van night after night after night. She rode in a Honda Accord night after night after night, chased her dream, living on bar food, living on tip jar money.”

And Langley's current position is a result of her former self's capacity to "get up and do it every single day."

“So, I'm going to tell you right now,” she came to the conclusion, “I am proud of that girl that everybody seems to be picking on all the time."