Ella Langley & Miranda Lambert’s Friendship Is Too Sweet
Country music singer Ella Langley is making waves at the Academy of Country Music (ACM) Awards thanks to her song “Choosing Texas.” But here’s the best part: she created that hit with country music icon Miranda Lambert. That’s right—these two powerhouses joined forces, and we have all the heartwarming details below.
A look at Ella Langley and Miranda Lambert’s friendship
Langley and Lambert’s friendship began with a fateful introduction by songwriter Natalie Hemby at the Broadcast Music, Inc (BMI) Awards a few years ago. Since then, Lambert has served as mentor, co-writer and friend to the rising star.
“It’s like looking in the mirror,” Lambert told Cody Alan on SiriusXM’s The Highway, per Whiskey Riff. “She’s just so feisty and so strong and knows exactly who she is and what she wants, and it really reminded me of myself. Natalie Hemby brought her over to my table at the BMI Awards several years ago, and then Natalie just left. [Ella] sat down right next to me and I didn’t know this girl. She was like, ‘Hey, I’m Ella Langley.’ Natalie was like, ‘Y’all need to be friends.’ And we were immediately—I could tell there was a kindred spirit there.”
The connection only deepened from there. “I got my hands on her new record, which was not out at the time, ‘Hungover,’ and called her,” Lambert continued. “I was like, ‘This is great,’ and told her my favorite songs. From there, we just kind of struck up our friendship. I love her for all the things that probably annoyed my manager about me, you know? She’s very strong-willed, very set in her ways, but it’s right because she believes in it so much. It’s so inspiring to see an artist that walks with that much confidence.”
Ella Langley and Miranda Lambert’s collaboration
After months of mentorship, the bond between Langley and Lambert blossomed into a creative collaboration. The pair co-wrote “Choosing Texas” together, with Langley bringing the song to life with her powerhouse vocals. And the inspiration? A wild story about Lambert owning a pet kangaroo—yes, you read that right!
“I just remembered it, and every time I’ve ever seen her, I wanted to ask about it, but I’d wait,” Langley shared on Superstar Power Hour with Katie Neal earlier this year. “I was like, ‘This isn’t the right time. We’re on the red carpet, you can’t ask about that right now.’ We write one song and I was like, ‘Oh no, we’re homies, we’re good. I think I could say whatever I want to.’ So I straight up asked, ‘Did you ever have a pet kangaroo at one time?’ She goes, ‘I did. I had a pet kangaroo,’ and she literally rerouted places on her tour because there were places that wouldn’t allow a kangaroo. She brought it out on tour.”
The story gets even better. “One day she was riding dirt roads and she had a dog in the back and a kangaroo in the passenger seat,” Langley continued. “She ended up getting pulled over on this dirt road and somehow talked her way out of a ticket. [The cop says,] ‘She’s from Texas, I can tell.’ That’s kind of how I come up with a lot of songs—it’s really just in conversation. I’ll say a phrase that I like, or something just catches my ear.”
The song is now ACM award winning, proving that when two powerful women team up anything can happen.
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This story was originally published May 17, 2026 at 9:32 PM.