Bailey Zimmerman has just gone full country fanboy, and Ella Langley is the reason why.
The “Rock and a Hard Place” hitmaker recently took to social media to profess his obsession with Langley’s breakout single, “Choosin’ Texas,” and from the way he is singing along, it is clear this one has him hooked. Captioning the clip with “Ella got me in a chokehold,” Zimmerman made it known that he is listening to the song on repeat. And we are not talking a few spins. According to Bailey, “I listen to this song at least 10x a day,” and judging by the way it has taken over playlists and streaming charts, he is far from alone.
“Choosin’ Texas,” co-written with Miranda Lambert, has quickly carved out its own lane in today’s country landscape. A gritty, vintage-sounding heartbreaker, the song is packed with dusty dive bar sorrow and all the twang and tension of a love slipping through your fingers. Ella’s delivery does not pull any punches either. She sounds like she has lived every word, and the way she paints the scene feels more like a classic western showdown than just another breakup song.
Released in October, “Choosin’ Texas” has already racked up 50 million streams on Spotify and shows no signs of slowing down. It cracked into Spotify’s Viral 50 chart and is steadily climbing the Billboard Country Airplay ranks. Even with two massive duets with Riley Green already under her belt this year, such as “You Look Like You Love Me” and “Don’t Mind If I Do,” Ella is proving she is more than a duet partner. She is a headliner in the making.
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Bailey Zimmerman jumping on board just adds another layer of excitement. While he leans toward a more pop-country sound, Zimmerman knows a good country song when he hears one. And he is right. “Choosin’ Texas” hits like a dusty bottle of heartbreak aged to perfection. If Bailey’s cosign leads to a future collaboration, we may be looking at the next major power duo in country music.
Ella’s year has already been nothing short of explosive. In addition to the success of her Riley Green collaborations, she also scooped up three CMA Awards and locked down a spot in the genre’s upper echelon. Now, with “Choosin’ Texas” picking up steam and a new album on the way featuring rumored cuts with HARDY and more, Langley is staking her claim as one of the genre’s boldest new voices.
And let’s be honest. A Bailey Zimmerman and Ella Langley track would be fire. His raw and emotional vibrato mixed with her soulful southern rasp would be a song begging to be played on every truck stereo and dive bar jukebox from Nashville to New Braunfels.
For now, fans can keep hitting repeat on “Choosin’ Texas” just like Bailey is. But if this kind of praise is any hint, Ella Langley might not be just the one making the choices. The whole industry might be choosing her.
