Miranda Lambert and Ella Langley Clashed During Hit Record Creation, Singer Reveals
Lambert stated that disagreements were a sign they were on the right track while collaborating on Langley's album 'Dandelion'.
Miranda Lambert revealed that her creative process with rising country star Ella Langley involved significant disagreements, which Lambert viewed as a positive indicator of their collaborative effort. "If we don't fight by the end of this, we probably didn't do it right," Lambert recalled telling Langley during an appearance on The New York Times' "Popcast."
Lambert, who produced Langley's album "Dandelion" and co-wrote the hit song "Choosin' Texas," described the process as a "long journey" filled with many emotions. "We did a lot," Lambert admitted when asked about the clashes, adding, "And I think that's important because we needed to."
The "heartbroken, independence and life in the country" songwriter stated that she welcomed constructive arguments, calling herself "scrappy." She emphasized that the goal was to ensure the music was right. "I wanted it to be right, you know what I mean?" she said.
While Lambert acknowledged that Langley ultimately had the final say as it was her name on the album, she felt the collaboration struck a good balance. "Bouncing songs off each other, saying like, 'That's too far one way,' or 'That doesn't fit the record,' whatever it was. And I love that she trusted me with that," Lambert commented.
Regarding the song "Choosin' Texas," Lambert noted that there was less friction during its creation. "That one is just like — it's like a piece of our DNA. So, no. It's like there's this nostalgia to it, and it's like her love for country and my love for country," she explained. "That one, whether it was the writing of it just fell out or the production, it was just like, 'This is what it's supposed to be. Let's let it be.'"
"Choosin' Texas" has achieved significant chart success for Langley. In September, the song set a Billboard record by reaching its 23rd week at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, surpassing Mariah Carey's "All I Want for Christmas Is You" for the longest reign at the top of the all-genre chart. As of its 24th week, it continues to hold the record for the longest-running No. 1 song in chart history. The track first entered the Hot 100 in November 2025, became Langley's first top 10 hit in January, and reached No. 1 in February. Additionally, "Choosin' Texas" has spent 42 weeks at No. 1 on Billboard's Hot Country Songs chart.