Ella Langley Ends 51-Week Drought for Women at No. 1 on Billboard Country Airplay Chart

Ella Langley and Riley Green’s duet, “You Look Like You Love Me,” reached the No.1 spot on the Billboard Country Airplay chart this week, earning Langley her first No.1 and Green his second leader on the chart. 

With this news, Langley is making history as the first female artist this year to hold the No.1 spot on the chart. Yes, you read that correctly. According to Billboard, the rising star is the first female to have a No.1 on the Billboard Country Airplay chart in 2024 and the first woman to have a chart-topping single on the chart since Lainey Wilson when she earned a No.1 with Jelly Roll for their collaboration, “Save Me,” in December of 2023.  Prior to that, Wilson had a three-week run with her hit, “Watermelon Moonshine,” in October of 2023. 

Langley has broken a 51-week streak, marking the longest gap between women (including groups with prominent female vocals) reaching the top of the chart since the record 61-week hiatus in 2003-04.

Sadly, the lack of female artists receiving country radio airplay has been an ongoing challenge for several years. 

This topic gained significant attention during the 2015 controversy dubbed “Tomato-gate,” sparked by country radio executive Keith Hill’s infamous comparison of female artists on country radio to tomatoes in a salad.

“If you want to make ratings in country radio, take females out,” Hill stated in 2015. “I play great female records … they’re just not the lettuce in our salad. The lettuce is Luke Bryan and Blake Shelton, Keith Urban and artists like that. The tomatoes of our salad are the females.”

Now, nearly a decade later, country radio continues to lack female representation. 

Earning a No.1 single as a female artist is certainly something that should be celebrated. Langley has seen a great deal of success thanks to this song, which she co-wrote with Green and Aaron Raitiere. 

The track recently earned the artists their first CMA Award for Musical Event of the Year and earned the pair a performance slot on Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. While on set in New York City, the tour mates were surprised with plaques celebrating the single’s platinum status. 

In August, Langley and Green brought the song to life with a cinematic Western-themed music video featuring a special guest cameo from Jamey Johnson.

“You Look Like You Love Me” is featured on Ella Langley’s deluxe version of her debut album, Still Hungover. The newly released extended version of the project includes two new songs, “Girl You’re Taking Home” and “20-20” as well as fan favorites “Weren’t For The Wind” and “Made It Out of Mexico (Acoustic).”  

Langley and Green will return to the road together in 2025 on Green’s Damn Country Music Tour. The trek, which sold over 100,000 tickets in just eight hours, kicks off on March 27, 2025. 

In addition to touring with Green, Langley will headline her Still Hungover Tour, which sold out in a matter of hours.