Ella Langley, alongside Riley Green, has topped the Billboard Country Airplay chart with their duet “You Look Like You Love Me,” marking a significant milestone. This achievement is Langley’s first chart-topping single and Green’s second time at the top. Notably, Langley is the first female artist to secure the No. 1 spot on this chart in 2024. The last time a female artist held this position was when Lainey Wilson reached No. 1 with Jelly Roll in December 2023 for their collaboration “Save Me.” Before that, Wilson enjoyed success with “Watermelon Moonshine” in October 2023.
Langley’s success ends a 51-week period during which no female artist reached the top of the chart, a gap not seen since a 61-week hiatus between 2003 and 2004. The underrepresentation of female artists on country radio remains a persistent issue, highlighted by past controversies like the 2015 “Tomato-gate.” During this controversy, a country radio executive controversially compared female artists to tomatoes in a salad, suggesting they were less essential than their male counterparts.
Despite these challenges, Langley’s achievement as a female artist reaching No. 1 is noteworthy. The success of “You Look Like You Love Me,” co-written with Green and Aaron Raitiere, has been significant. The song earned them the Musical Event of the Year award at the CMA Awards and a performance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. While in New York, Langley and Green were surprised with platinum status plaques for their hit single.
In August, they released a Western-themed music video for the song, featuring a cameo by Jamey Johnson. The track is included in the deluxe edition of Langley’s debut album, “Still Hungover.” This extended version features two new tracks, “Girl You’re Taking Home” and “20-20,” along with popular songs like “Weren’t For The Wind” and “Made It Out of Mexico (Acoustic).”
Looking ahead to 2025, Langley and Green will tour together again on Green’s Damn Country Music Tour, which saw an impressive ticket sale, with over 100,000 sold in just eight hours. Additionally, Langley will headline her Still Hungover Tour, which sold out rapidly.
