Ella Langley's Stunning Transformation Over The Years

Ella Langley has transcended her status as country's music latest it-girl and transitioned into bonafide crossover star, with Rolling Stone designating her single "Choosin' Texas" as the song of the summer. Not only has the song become a fixture on radio airwaves and been a soundtrack on social media, it's also topped the Billboard Hot 100 for 18 weeks and is primed to tie for the longest run for a non-holiday song in history.

Though it may seem like the brunette beauty is an overnight success, Langley actually released her first song back in 2018. By 2022, she was heading on tour to open up for Randy Houser, and the year after that, her career skyrocketed to the next level as she performed at the Grand Ole Opry. Things have continued to go up from there, with the country superstar seemingly doing the near impossible — getting her twangy tune played on radio stations worldwide. Now that the Alabama-born crooner has made it big, we're taking a look at her massive style transformation over the years.

Back in 2017, an 18-year-old Ella Langley posted this Instagram selfie smiling while sporting a bold red lip. Her trademark bangs hadn't yet made their appearance. Instead, she rocked her long dark hair in waves and wore a trendy choker necklace in the snap.

That same year, the singer would write her very first song, "Clear the Clouds." Langley talked about the process with the Montgomery Advertiser that year, revealing that she co-wrote it with her aunt in a surprisingly short amount of time. "[The song] started as a riff I had been playing on the porch. I had just gone through some difficult personal stuff and when we started writing the song and it all came together in a rush. I think we probably wrote it in about 20 minutes," the future star revealed, proving she was a natural talent.

A few years later, Ella Langley was still working hard on her music. The brunette beauty shared this selfie on Instagram in 2021, showing off her now straightened dark locks and much more natural makeup look. She posted this pretty photo alongside an exciting caption about her latest tune, writing, "'If You Have To' had a release week that I could have never imagined. Over half a million streams in just a few short days. Thank you for the support and loving this song as much as I do. I can't wait to share more with you as we head into 2022."

"If You Have To" gained popularity thanks to TikTok and was instrumental in getting her a big break — an opening act spot for Randy Houser. Langley joined the artist on the road in 2022, and told the Hult Center while stopping in Eugene, Oregon, "I couldn't have asked for a better first tour. This is definitely one that I will reflect on and be thankful for through my entire artist career."

What a difference a year makes! Ella Langley followed up her very first tour opening for Randy Houser with a spot during CMA Fest in Nashville that summer. The up-and-coming country star looks nearly unrecognizable compared to the Langley we know today, rocking the stage in this black leather tank top with much lighter hair. The star's typically dark brown tresses were now a honey brown hue, and styled in loose waves.

That fall, the newly blonder beauty spoke to People about her goals for the next year, sharing, "I would love to put out a couple bodies of work next year. I've only thus far put out singles... I also just want to keep playing as many shows as I can play. We went to 36 states this past year, so for a small-town Alabama girl, that was really insane."

In December 2022, Ella Langley had a big announcement on social media — she would be playing the Grand Ole Opry (the site of many memorable moments). The singer shared this selfie on Instagram clutching an ornament that announced her performance date at the legendary venue. She captioned the snap, "Sorry Santa, gonna be pretty tough to top this one."

Aside from announcing the exciting news, the country music (a genre that's had plenty of huge scandals) darling also showed off even lighter locks. Her long hair featured blonde highlights throughout, and we got the first glimpse of her now-signature style — bangs. She would later tell Theo Von on his podcast, "This Past Weekend" in 2026, "I have a bad tendency to cut my own hair... Most of the time it goes bad — that's how I got bangs in the first place." Those bangs ended up being a happy accident, as she told Von, "I don't think I can ever change it. It changed my life a little bit, I would say."

The country gal went glam at the BMI Country Awards in November 2023, showing off long curly locks set under a chic black cowboy hat. It was also one of the first times that country music fans saw Ella Langley all dressed up in this long-sleeved black gown with a plunging neckline and a dramatic feathered detail at the sleeves. The singer previously told People that her go-to outfit is typically jeans and a t-shirt, a far cry from this look. "My style in day-to-day life is pretty laid-back, a little outdoorsy, and always about comfort, so working with a brand that celebrates that felt right," she told the outlet.

Langley reached many of her 2023 goals — she spent a lot of time out on the road touring with big country stars like Riley Green and Jon Pardi. She also released an EP that year titled, "Excuse The Mess."

After years of working in the music industry and putting out music, Ella Langley released her first full-length album in 2024. Ahead of its release, she stopped by the SiriusXM studios in Nashville rocking a tan cowboy hat and a rare hairstyle for the brunette beauty — an updo. Face-framing layers hung around her face, with the 'do showing off her bolo tie and silver necklace.

Langley's album, "Hungover," included her first smash hit, "You Look Like You Love Me," a duet with tour mate Riley Green. The country star opened up about the album to Music Row, noting, "This has been my dream for my whole entire life, so releasing my very first record is a really good feeling, and I'm so proud of it." She also revealed the reason she picked the title, sharing, "Before this record was even finished, I remember driving around in my car listening to 'Hungover,' and it hit me that it was the perfect title to encapsulate this era of my life and all the feelings I've poured into the songs."

Almost, but not there quite yet. It seemed like Ella Langley (who tuned up her look) was on the way to finding her signature look that's instantly recognizable later in 2024. The talented artist arrived on the BMI Awards red carpet that November with bangs and caramel-colored hair that fell right below her shoulders. A strapless leopard print dress showed off an edgier style moment, which she accessorized with a bold embellished belt at the waist. Chunky jewelry completed this look.

While speaking to Country Now on the red carpet that night, she explained the bangs were pretty new, sharing, "I always had little side bangs, not really bangs, and I cut [my hair] and it was so bad... I just told my hairdresser, 'Bro, you just gotta send it.' And then she sent it on the bangs and I thought I would grow them out maybe, and I don't think I'm ever allowed to grow my bangs out again."

Ella Langley really solidified her signature look just a few weeks later, turning into the country star we know and love today. She's seen here rocking blunt bangs and chocolate brown tresses styled in bold waves at the 2024 CMA Awards in November 2024, stepping on the red carpet and turning heads. The gorgeous hairdo paired perfectly with her long-sleeved, black lace gown with a dramatic high neck and cape detail. At that year's award ceremony, she took home her first of many Country Music Associate Awards, winning Musical Event of the Year alongside her duet partner Riley Green for "Look Like You Love Me."

She would later reveal that she had a very surprising hack for getting her perfectly coiffed bangs styled so flawlessly — eyelash glue. "I use eyelash glue to hold them in place. You can use micellar water to take it off. Do a couple hair flips to test it out, and then spray it all down," Langley explained to People in 2026.

Despite locking in on blunt bangs, Ella Langley still managed to experiment with her hairstyles as her career continued to skyrocket into 2025. She's seen here attending the Academy of Country Music Awards that May, where she was up for the more awards than any other artist with an impressive eight nominations. When she took home the Music Event of the Year award for "You Look Like You Love Me," the singer got a chance to make amends for her other speeches earlier in the night, explaining, "I was so stunned up here last time, I blacked out. This time I want to start off by thanking God. This is the thing I wanted to do in my whole life."

Since all eyes were on country music's hottest lady, it was only natural for Langley to pull out all the stops on the red carpet. She once again opted for animal print — this time wowing in a snakeskin printed gown with spaghetti straps and black lace detailing, which she paired with an artfully messy updo that left wispy strands out to frame her face alongside her signature bangs.

Red carpets were becoming a regular occurrence by November 2025. Ella Langley stunned at the CMA Awards that month, arriving in this show-stopping long-sleeved, floor length gown comprised of red lace. From far away one might have thought she was pretty covered up, but upon closer inspection Langley's frock included a sheer lace skirt that showed off her legs underneath. Her hair was styled in its classic way — long and wavy with her blunt fringe taking center stage.

She found as much success during that award show as she did on the red carpet — she took home three of the six awards she was nominated for, Single, Song, and Music Video of the Year for "You Look Like You Love Me." And since that same song took home Musical Event of the Year in 2024, Langley and her duet partner Riley Green made CMA Awards history by becoming the first artists to sweep all four categories with the tune.

"Life? Loving it" is what Ella Langley captioned this Instagram selfie in April 2026. She had every reason to be quite pleased with her world at the moment — three days later, her second full-length album, "Dandelion," was released. The gorgeous brunette showed off her voluminous waves and artfully wispy bangs in the photo, while rocking what was becoming a new signature for her — the perfect pout.

A few months before she posted this selfie, Langley opened up to Music Row about her latest record. In the interview, the singer revealed that the album's title has a unique tie-in to her first release. "I learned that dandelion tea is actually a natural detox for the liver. So a record called 'Dandelion' after a record called hungover made all the sense in the world to me," the country star shared. She also spoke about how personal this record was to her, telling the outlet, "I've never poured more of myself into a project, into a song, into an idea, and it's fallen out so beautifully. It's about learning yourself, making mistakes, and realizing that it's all just part of life."

Queen of the desert! Ella Langley made her Stagecoach debut in 2026, hitting the stage at the legendary country music festival that April. While performing she embraced the venue, rocking this desert-inspired white corset-style top embellished with green and red beaded designs and fringe. She kept her hair classic, but when it came time to perform she opted for a surprise.

The country cutie brought out a special guest when it was time to sing her hit duet "You Look Like You Love Me," and nope, it wasn't her usual singing partner Riley Green. Instead, the singer tapped podcast host and comedian Theo Von for the occasion. Together the duo rocked the stage and made headlines, with Rolling Stone reporting that Langley playfully told the crowd, "Bet you didn't expect that... Keep 'em guessin!" She appeared on Von's wildly popular podcast, "This Past Weekend" a few weeks prior.

Ella Langley sang for a good cause in June 2026. The beauty gave a full performance during the Stars for Second Harvest event, a concert benefiting Second Harvest Food Back of Middle Tennessee. She dressed angelic for the philanthropic occasion — selecting this sweet white gown with puffed sleeves and an all-over delicate blue floral print by Anne Louise Boutique. A messy updo was a great juxtaposition to the frilly and feminine frock.

Now that she's spent 2026 conquering the music charts, Langley told Backstage Country in May that her next goal is actually a place. The singer shared, "People in the beginning always used to ask me, 'how far you want to take this thing?' I guess as far as it lets me go and to me that's a stadium. So that's my big [goal]." She even has a specific venue in mind, adding, "I want to headline Red Rocks. I've opened Red Rocks, but I've never headlined Red Rocks."