“Thank You So Much For Being Strong”: Ella Langley Reflects on How She’s Changed Over the Years

During a recent show on her packed-out Dandelion Tour, Ella Langley took a moment to share how she's evolved over the years, before expressing gratitude to the old version of herself that made it possible to be enjoying the success she now has.

The ’Choosin‘ Texas’ singer-songwriter started by joking about how, now that her tours are much bigger and her travel-plans can afford to be a little more comfortable, she doesn't find herself relying on gas station dinners quite as often these days.

She reflects, “I don't drink as much tequila and I'm not eating gas station taquitos every day, you know, I feel like it's a good change in my life. And then I start to see that girl...If it was not for her, eating gas station taquitos in the van at 2am, and busting her ass to get to where she is today, I wouldn't be in front of a sold-out crowd tonight”.

It's an important message, particularly for anyone who feels embarrassed about the person they used to be or the lifestyle they had to lead while grinding for something better.

The Alabama native emphasises, “And so I don't want you to ever let somebody make you feel guilty for who you were, because that person took you to where you are right now”.

Langley then encourages everyone in the audience to share a message of gratitude to those past versions of them, where they didn't necessarily have it all figured out yet, “You need to thank that person. Thank you so much for getting me here, thank you so much for being tough for me, thank you so much for being strong”.

It's certainly true that, if Langley had turned her nose up at the prospect of having to slum it out on the road and cobble together meals at ungodly hours of the morning, then she likely would not be receiving the fruits of those hard yards today.

Now, of course, Langley is one of the biggest stars in modern country music, and ‘Choosin‘ Texas’, is on track to become the longest-running No. 1 ever on the Billboard Hot 100.

It's a classic example of a 10-year overnight success, with many assuming that Langley's emergence has been immediate, with ’Choosin’ Texas’ her first big mainstream hit.

But Langley has been releasing music since 2017, with the ‘Be Her’ hitmaker spending years on the circuit of bar gigs and intimate venues before building momentum as an artist, and being asked to open for the likes of Jon Pardi, Morgan Wallen and more.

This makes it especially moving to hear her delivering this heartfelt message to her fans, as Langley underlines how important it is to not only love yourself now, but to love the old you, too, so that you can fully move on and embrace where you're currently at.

It's become tradition for Langley to use the moments in-between songs in her Dandelion Tour setlist to offer some words of reassurance and comfort to attendees, with a previous speech where Langley opened up about her faith, for instance, going viral. It's become an inspiring part of her set, and we hope she keeps sharing this wisdom and advice for her fanbase as she continues her Dandelion run this year.