Ella Langley’s “You Look Like You Love Me” Is One Of The Biggest Songs In Recent Years
Ella Langley released “You Look Like You Love Me” on June 21, 2024, as the first single off her debut album Hungover.
It became a massive hit, selling more than 3 million units and earning 3x Platinum certification from the RIAA. The song, which is a duet with Riley Green, took home Musical Event of the Year and Video of the Year at the CMA Awards, and Single of the Year, Visual Media of the Year, and Music Event of the Year at the ACM Awards.
Not to mention, the music video has over 73 million views on YouTube alone.
During a podcast interview with Theo Von, Ella revealed that her record label, Columbia Records, didn’t want her to release the song at all.
Ella Reveals Her Label Told Her “You Look Like You Love Me” Would Not Perform Well
Langley wrote the song with Aaron Ratiere, and while out on the road, Green came in and wrote the second verse. In an interview, he said the song was “one of those things that can only happen out on the road, out on tour, just really organically. I heard the song, and I think she kinda thought maybe it would be a good collaboration with somebody, so I wrote a second verse for it. It’s just a really fun song.”
But after the song was completed, that’s when the hard work began.
While doing press for the release of her sophomore album, Dandelion, Langley stopped by the This Past Weekend with Theo Von podcast to discuss everything from her new music to growing up in Alabama, her big move to Nashville, and more.
Von asked whether she likes having a say in everything she does. He noted that he is good friends with Morgan Wallen, who knows exactly who he is and what music he wants to put out. Von was wondering if Ella is similar. And she is.
“Every bit of what I do, I have my hand in it,” she explained, which is why she co-produced the entire album, co-directed her music videos, created her music video sets, and more. She credits finding a collaborative team, whether it be her stylist, make-up artist, photographer, creative director, and band.
Ella also credits her song “You Look Like You Love Me” for shaping her career, because she believed in it even though her label didn’t, and she had to fight to release it the way she intended.
“Everyone told me that song was not going to work,” she said before revealing that her label really wanted her and Green to re-record the verses so they’d be singing them instead of speaking them.
She straight-up told them, “I’m not singing these verses,” and they didn’t like it. Of course, the label pushed back more.
“I just fought ’em really hard on it,” she says.
Langley reveals the label told her, “This is gonna be the worst-performing song on the record,” and boy, were they wrong.
Of course, she couldn’t have dreamed up the success it did have, but she says, “I believed that it was different, I believed that it was something that made me smile, and I enjoyed singing it. If I go and cut something, it’s because I believe in it.”
“You really have to get up and fight to do it the way you want to do it,” which she has continued to do, especially now that there are many more eyes on her.
Dandelion, her 18-track sophomore album, will be released on April 10th, and it has already topped the Apple Music chart days before its release!
Watch her talk about the situation with her label in the podcast below.
