“I love their voices colliding,” Kelly Clarkson of Riley Green and Ella Langley’s 2024 duet.
In honor of her 43rd birthday, entertainment icon and daytime talk show host Kelly Clarkson wasted no time delivering a rousing, heartfelt rendition of Riley Green’s “Don’t Mind If I Do” during the April 24 episode of The Kelly Clarkson Show.
There isn’t a hit that Clarkson can’t make her own, and she was eager to deliver a birthday treat while tackling Green’s 2024 release. From the moment the first guitar note rang out, Clarkson leaned all the way in, delivering angelic vocals and a soulful accompaniment from My Band Y’all that instantly hypnotized the crowd. From modern country hits to classic rock anthems, Clarkson continues to dazzle and delight with her genre-defying magnetism with a microphone, and “Don’t Mind If I Do” was no different.
To match the moody vibe of Green’s song, the Kelly Clarkson Show stage donned dark blue lighting, setting the tone for a cozy yet compelling set. Clarkson’s signature powerhouse vocals soared as she blended rustic grit and impressive runs with ease, gliding through the song like a bona fide angel.
Clarkson’s tender approach to the song brought the lyrics to life, painting a lovelorn scene that had the crowd clinging along to every word. The audience responded to the set in kind, roaring with applause with Clarkson’s final stunning note.
“That was the title track from Riley’s latest album,” Clarkson said following the Kellyoke performance. “He recorded it with Ella Langley — another artist I adore. Riley’s actually on tour all summer, with Ella joining him on a number of dates. I love their voices colliding.”
“It’s also a great song for today,” Clarkson added with a grin. “It’s my birthday, and I don’t mind if I do.”
What to know about Riley Green and Ella Langley’s “Don’t Mind If I Do”
Released in October 2024 on his third studio album, “Don’t Mind I Do” is a melancholic breakup ballad about two exes considering getting back together. Green teamed up with country icon Ella Langley for “Don’t Mind If Do” after the duo’s collaboration on “you look like you love me” became a viral smash in June 2024. Green talked about the creation of “Don’t Mind If I Do” and his viral success with Langley in an episode of Southern Living’s Biscuits & Jam podcast.
“I wrote the song in the green room at a show in Rogers, Arkansas, and I wrote it as a duet. I didn’t necessarily have Ella in mind to sing on it,” Green said of the track. “And when I went in the studio to record it, I think I texted her and see if she would come by to put a female vocal on it to make sure the key was right for a female. And she just nailed it. As soon as I heard it, I thought it wasn’t gonna do any better than that, and so it was kinda accidental that she ended up on that song.”
