American Eagle has a new denim face months after a major controversy last year.
Country singer Ella Langley has fronted the retailer’s new Denim Darling ads, replacing actress Sydney Sweeney after backlash over a campaign slogan.
The company launched the campaign on Wednesday, following the 26-year-old’s Hungover album release two years ago that won five awards at the Academy of Country Music Awards last May.
“I have these photos growing up wearing American Eagle shorts that my mom bedazzled herself. It was the first pair of denim I loved,” she told PEOPLE.
“American Eagle has always been about being yourself, and that’s something I really try to get across in my music. My style in day-to-day life is pretty laid-back, a little outdoorsy, and always about comfort, so working with a brand that celebrates that felt right.”
The new rollout comes seven months after American Eagle faced criticism over its “Sydney Sweeney Has Great Jeans” campaign.
Critics argued the ad had racial undertones due to a pun on “genes” and “jeans.”
In one commercial, Sweeney said, “Genes are passed down from parents to offspring, often determining traits like hair color, personality and even eye color,” before adding, “My jeans are blue,” as the camera zoomed toward her eyes.
The company defended the campaign at the time, saying “‘Sydney Sweeney Has Great Jeans’ is and always was about the jeans.”
Sweeney later addressed the controversy in an interview with People in early December of 2025.
“I was honestly surprised by the reaction,” Sweeney told PEOPLE.
“I did it because I love the jeans and love the brand. I don’t support the views some people chose to connect to the campaign. Many have assigned motives and labels to me that just aren’t true.”
American Eagle repeated its stance on social media shortly after the original ads aired, writing, “‘Sydney Sweeney Has Great Jeans’ is and always was about the jeans. Her jeans. Her story. We’ll continue to celebrate how everyone wears their AE jeans with confidence, their way. Great jeans look good on everyone.”
Sweeney also spoke about her personal response to the backlash.
“Anyone who knows me knows that I’m always trying to bring people together. I’m against hate and divisiveness,” she says.
“In the past my stance has been to never respond to negative or positive press but recently I have come to realize that my silence regarding this issue has only widened the divide, not closed it. So I hope this new year brings more focus on what connects us instead of what divides us.”
‘ The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties ’
‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source www.the-express.com ’
