“I think the coolest thing now is definitely the shows, you know, like, especially with my band. I’ve played with them for so long, and a lot of my crew has been with me for a long time.”
That is how Ella Langley summed up life on the road in a SiriusXM chat after her Dandelion Tour came to a close. Holler shared her comments on Nov. 3.
It has been a giant year for the Alabama singer behind “Choosin’ Texas” and “Be Her.” She heads into the 60th CMA Awards on Nov. 18 in Nashville with nine nominations, more than any other artist. They include Entertainer of the Year, Female Vocalist of the Year and Album of the Year for “Dandelion.” Lainey Wilson hosts the show.
The Dandelion Tour was Ella’s first run as a headliner, and it grew so popular that she added more dates. Along the way she headlined famous stages like the Greek Theatre in Los Angeles and Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Colorado. The tour wrapped on Halloween at Grand Casino Arena in St. Paul, Minn. Ella took the stage that night as Jessie the cowgirl from “Toy Story,” and her band dressed as other characters from the movies.
Her parents got into it too. In a backstage photo Ella shared on Instagram, her mom came as Stinky Pete the Prospector. Her dad wore the chicken costume from Al’s Toy Barn.
Entertainment Tonight covered her big lead in this year’s CMA race.
Entertainment Tonight reports on Ella’s nine CMA nominations
That Halloween show was not her last costume of the fall.
After the tour ended, Ella posted a new clip on TikTok, filmed backstage at an arena ahead of a sound check. She looks into the camera and gets straight to business.
“Welcome to today!” she says. “We’re gonna hand out Christmas bonuses!”
She says it from behind a white beard. Holler reported that Ella is dressed head to toe as Santa Claus. The stack of envelopes in her hands holds her crew’s Christmas bonuses, one for each person.
According to Holler, she also jokes, “This is better than the last time.” She doesn’t say what happened the last time.
Country Rebel reported that she ran around the arena singing the late Dolly Parton’s “Hard Candy Christmas,” waving an envelope in the air while she hunted for the right person to hand it to. The crew members in the clip are all smiles as they take their envelopes, Holler noted.
When the last one is handed out, Santa thanks the crew and tells them, “Love y’all!” Then she heads off to get ready for sound check.
It is early for Christmas, but the timing makes sense. With the tour finished, Holler pointed out, her crew can enjoy some time off over the holidays. Ella has already said she plans to tour again in 2027.
The full Santa clip is on Ella’s TikTok page, @ellalangleymusic1.
Ella has a Christmas song of her own on the shelf, too. Last year she joined Luke Bryan on “Winter Wonderland” for his first holiday EP, “Luke Bryan Christmas,” and the two filmed the video inside a recording studio.
Ella and Luke Bryan sing “Winter Wonderland” together
On Nov. 18, Ella will walk into the CMA Awards with nine chances at a trophy. The beard is expected to stay in the closet.