Why this Jesus-loving, gun-owning singer really is the new Taylor Swift

When I put the Langley versus Swift question to a record label source who primarily works with country acts, they acknowledge the artists’ similarities: the same early sound, same girl-next-door appeal. But Langley’s arrival on the scene just as country music is booming globally could mean she’s set for even bigger success in the genre.

“Ella is smart, cute, talented, and releasing music at a way better time for country than when Taylor released Fearless [in 2008],” the source says. “What’s interesting too is that she seems to be big amongst guys [Langley has a male fandom called the ‘Ella Fellas’] as well as girls, meaning her shows have way more potential to sell out than Taylor’s early ones. And she won’t suffer from that ‘girly’ label. It looks like she’ll be Nashville’s biggest breakthrough in decades, and could even be bigger than Morgan [Wallen].”

Anecdotally, it was noticeable at the C2C: Country to Country festival, held in London earlier this year, just how many attendees were wishing aloud that Langley was topping the bill.

Swift, smart and shrewd as she is, is also obviously aware of the comparisons. Photographed with Langley at the iHeartRadio Awards in Los Angeles in March, Swift was all smiles, the vision of the supportive mentor. It’s a wise move; she has long been criticised for what her detractors view as ruthless competition with her female “rivals”. In the 2010s, there was a well-publicised feud with Katy Perry, sparked by a business dispute over backing dancers.