Shinedown Lead Singer Praises Ella Langley + Wants to Collaborate

This week on Taste of Country Nights, I caught up with Brent Smith, lead singer of the multi-platinum rock band Shinedown, who had some high praise for Ella Langley.

Shinedown has been seeing some country crossover momentum lately, as their song "Searchlights" has started gaining traction at country radio stations across the country. That led me to ask Smith who he sees as a true force in the genre right now.

“Ella Langley — I mean, that voice is something brand new to me," he said. "I didn’t know a lot about her, but ‘Choosin’ Texas’ just kind of got me out of the dump.”

Keep in mind, Shinedown is one of the most successful rock bands of the 21st century, so that kind of compliment carries serious weight for Ella Langley’s résumé.

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Smith went on to explain what makes “Choosin’ Texas” such an earworm: “She sounds like somebody you’d wanna hang out with. Like, ‘This dude chose Texas? I’d rather hang out with you!’”

"There's something just something really honest in her voice and she just seems like a good hang."

Will Ella Langley and Shinedown Collaborate in the Future?

Smith, the lead singer of Shinedown, told me directly on Taste of Country Nights that he’s open to more than just praise.

“If she [Langley] wants to do a feature, that would be awesome … bring it on!”

Smith said Shinedown would be open to collaborating with Ella Langley — whether that means creating something brand new together or even jumping on a remix of “Choosin’ Texas” as a feature.

So if you’re just now discovering Langley, what other tracks should be on your radar? Check out some favorites below.

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