Ella Langley Says She Is Proud of Her Younger Self

Ella Langley told a concert audience in Columbus, Ohio, on September 25 that criticism of her appearance, speech, clothing, movement, singing and songwriting had initially affected her, but she had come to feel proud of the younger version of herself who pursued a music career. Her remarks were captured in a video shared on social media. Langley described hearing more opinions about herself over the past year than at any other time in her life. She said the comments had made her question whether she was strong enough to continue, even though she loved performing and making music. She said her view shifted when she thought about the person critics were targeting as the same person who had brought her to that moment. Langley recalled traveling in a 15-passenger van and a Honda Accord while chasing her dream, and living on bar food and money from tip jars. She said she was proud of that younger self and the persistence that had helped her keep going. The remarks came amid attention around Langley’s song “Choosin’ Texas” and reports that it had surpassed Mariah Carey’s 22-week run at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100.