Heartbroken but unstoppable — Ella Langley just reminded Nashville what real country storytelling feels like

Ella Langley is all about intuition (and some good dancin’) on “Choosin’ Texas.” On Wednesday night, the country star performed her latest single — a pointed ballad about her man’s new girl from the Lone Star State — at the 2025 CMA Awards, backed by a starry backdrop.

After winning a trio of awards for “You Look Like You Love Me” earlier in the night, Langley returned to the stage to soundtrack a two-stepping couple, evoking the Texas flag with her set design. She performed in front of a giant red star, strumming her guitar in red pants adorned with silver stars down the sides. “It doesn’t take a crystal ball to see / A cowboy always finds a way to leave,” she sang. “Drinkin’ Jack all by myself / He’s choosin’ Texas, I can tell.”

Langley dropped “Choosin’ Texas” — co-written with Miranda Lambert, who waved a Texas flag from the crowd — in mid-October as part of the rollout for her upcoming project, the follow-up to her Hungover album. She most recently wrapped her Still Hungover Tour last week, and joined Luke Bryan for a holiday duet of “Winter Wonderland.”“There’s going to be some dancing,” she teased about the performance in an interview with Music Mayhem. “You’re going to feel the longing the song describes, missing that person, whether it’s where they’re living or who they want to be with. It’s just a good ol’ country song with some two-steppin’ in it.”“There’s going to be some dancing,” she teased about the performance in an interview with Music Mayhem. “You’re going to feel the longing the song describes, missing that person, whether it’s where they’re living or who they want to be with. It’s just a good ol’ country song with some two-steppin’ in it.”

A different Green duet, “Don’t Mind If I Do,” earned her a nod for Musical Event of the Year. That’s the same award she won with Green last year for “You Look Like You Love Me.” (They also performed a classic country duet.)