Ella Langley is fastly growing her popularity as a country artist. She recently released a new album on April 10, called “Dandelion.” The collection of songs is already number one on the Billboard 200 and has sold almost 170,000 units within its first week of being released.
The collection features some of my favorite hits like “Dandelion,” “Speaking Terms,” “Choosin’ Texas” and “Be Her.” The music compilation has open-hearted lyrics that express Ella Langley’s recent emotions.
First up is “Dandelion,” which is the whole basis of the album. The song is about being okay with being different from everyone else. “Ain’t a pink bouquet in the flower store / I’m okay if I’m a little more / Dandelion.” Ella Langley sings about staying strong in her roots, using lyrics such as, “I wasn’t made for a fancy crystal vase / A mason jar and old blue jeans, from my roots to my boots, I’ll always be / a dandelion.” One of the opening sentences is “The Bible in my blood, and the ‘Bama in my veins” which talks about her southern origin and in context of the song, that no matter where she runs, she will always go back to her roots.
Next is “Choosin’ Texas,” which was one of the first songs she released on the album. The song talks about the betrayal of boyfriends still having feelings for their ex-girlfriends and the pain that comes with it. Lyrics like “Just when I got him to fall in love with Tennessee, Should’ve known better than to take him back to Albaleen” show the regret and even hint that Langley knew where his heart was before they even broke up. “The Memphis blues we used to sing” is a clever play on the city of Memphis in Tennessee, and Ella Langley feeling sad about the way things ended. This specific word choice gives a feeling of bittersweetness as she reminisces about what went down between her and her ex-boyfriend. There is even speculation that this song is about a love triangle between Langley, Riley Green and Megan Moroney.
To follow up, Langley has another song on the Album called “Be Her.” The lyrics capture the essence of wanting to be someone else who looks seemingly perfect. This is shown in the words “She’s a lover, a mother, a sister, and wife / She rolls over in the morning to the love of her life.” This song is so relatable and catchy, the perfect combination. The music and lyrics, if looked at in the right lens, can be motivational, like “She ain’t stuck on the past, ain’t worried about tomorrow” and ”She doesn’t need validation or much of anything.”
Finally, “Speaking Terms” is written about Langley’s relationship with God and it is one of my favorite ones. She talks about the uncertainty of knowing if God is answering prayers and wishes. This is something I can relate to and is part of what makes her music so good. The music is softer, and the lyrics are more heartfelt. Langley starts off the song with the words, “I used to kneel beside my bed at night when I was small / It was easy as breathing, believing it wasn’t hard at all.” She remembers how easy it was to believe God was there and to pray consistently, something a lot of christians, including myself, can connect with. Her chorus is my favorite part, “I carry on this one-way conversation / I’m listening but You don’t say a word / If Your answer’s in the silence, I’ll be patient.”
“Dandelion” is a successful and widely loved album. Ella Langley sings exceptionally well and is one of my recent favorite country singers. These songs are varied and still soulful, which is what makes them such good listening material. Langley’s lyrics are soft but moving. This album has become one of my favorites within a short period of time.