The Bond That Riley Green + Ella Langley Share Can't Be Broken

With the 61st ACM Awards on the horizon, Ella Langley has a lot to celebrate — even before the show begins — including seven nominations.

One of those nominations is for Artist-Songwriter of the Year.

Also in that category is Riley Green, with whom Langley has scored two No. 1 hits over the past couple of years: “You Look Like You Love Me” and “Don’t Mind If I Do.”

I spoke with Green on Taste of Country Nights and asked whether there’s any trash-talking between the two friends over who might take home the award.

Green says, “No. Me and Ella have had a lot of success together over the last couple of years. I’m so happy to see how she’s doing in country music — it’s so tough for a new artist to break through, especially a female artist.”

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The “There Was This Girl” singer adds, “What she’s done in the last year or so is pretty amazing. To see another artist from Alabama win like that, we’ve got a lot of pride in where we’re from, so I’m really happy for her.”

Riley Green’s Upcoming Partnership With HeyDude

Green is about to get even busier. On May 19, his partnership with HeyDude will launch with a new line of products.

When Are the 2026 ACM Awards?

The 61st Academy of Country Music Awards will take place on Sunday, May 17, 2026, at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. Hosted by Shania Twain, the show will stream live at 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT on Prime Video, Twitch and Amazon.

The 15 Best Ella Langley Songs

Ella Langley showed up in country music's mainstream as a dark horse with an unlikely hit: "You Look Like You Love Me," a Riley Green duet that was catchy as all get-out but featured some unusual (and old-school) stylistic choices like talk-singing.

But it was a smash. And that turned out to be just the beginning of what Langley had to offer. She's continued to dominate with hits like "Weren't For the Wind" and the crossover mega-hit "Choosin' Texas," becoming one of the most high profile acts in country music and a bonafide star even beyond the genre.

Keep reading for Taste of Country's countdown of 15 Ella Langley songs that put her on the map, and then rewrote the rules of what traditional country sounds like — and how successful it can be even beyond the genre.

Gallery Credit: Carena Liptak