Ella Langley dropped her official “Choosin’ Texas” music video this week, and it’s a mini-movie that’s absolutely jam-packed with star cameos and fun twists.
Yellowstone star Luke Grimes plays Langley’s love interest in this story, and Miranda Lambert also co-stars as the bar performer who (spoiler alert) winds up rescuing Langley from being stuck in Texas with a boyfriend who’s still hung up on another girl.
Read More: The Secret Behind Ella Langley’s Massive Hit, “Choosin’ Texas”
Another familiar face is Kaitlin Butts, who follows Langley into the bathroom to warn her that her relationship just might be on the rocks. Butts plays the part of the mean girl perfectly, and the duo’s real-life friendship adds a little bit of an extra dynamic to her participation in this video (more on that later.)
But that’s not all that the “Choosin’ Texas” video delivers. Langley’s new clip includes some intriguing imagery and audio snippets that left us wondering: Is she teasing new music? What’s the story behind it? And why does everyone in this video look so familiar?
Keep scrolling as Taste of Country attempts to answer all your burning questions about Ella Langley’s “Choosin’ Texas video.
No. 1: Who Plays The Ex-Girlfriend in Ella Langley’s “Choosin’ Texas” Video?
Ella Langley, YouTube
This girl — most often seen looking sultry and mysterious across the bar from Langley and her love interest Luke Grimes — looks so familiar, but we couldn’t quite place her.
Well, we did a little digging and solved the mystery. The ex-girlfriend stealing Langley’s man in the music video is played by Ava Phillippe, aka Reese Witherspoon and Ryan Phillippe’s daughter!
Country fans might know Phillippe from her role in Ransom Canyon. She’s also a model who’s worked with brands such as Chanel Beauty and Dior Beauty.
No. 2: Why Do So Many of the Bar Patrons Look Familiar?
Ella Langley, YouTube
Why? Because you’ve seen a lot of them onstage elsewhere, of course! Langley enlisted a bunch of her Texas-born friends in music and entertainment to act in this music video, including Texas singers Wade Bowen and Casey Donahew (whose wife also plays the bartender.)
Eagle-eyed fans will spot Tanner Usrey playing pool — he’s a Texas artist who just made headlines earlier in the week when he was arrested on serious drug charges.
Read More: Tanner Usrey Arrested On Felony Drug Charges
Rodeo personality Dale Brisby makes an appearance, as do members of the Texas A&M’s Aggie Wranglers dance team.
No. 3: What Are the Unreleased Song Teases in the Music Video?
Ella Langley, YouTube
Before the music video starts in earnest, Langley and Grimes are cruising into Abilene, and playing on the radio is a song we can barely make out, and can’t place. It certainly sounds like it could be Langley’s voice, but we’d be hard pressed to say anything for sure about it.
We’re much more confident in another clip from the very end of the video, which includes a brief audio snippet as the credits role. In it, Langley sings, “I think we both know, it’s last call for us / It’s last call for us…”
Parade did some extra sleuthing and discovered a blank YouTube page under Langley’s channel that’s called “Last Call For Us,” but offers no additional information.
There’s also a song called “Last Call For Us” listed on the track list of Langley’s upcoming Dandelion album, which is due out this month. Seems like a pretty likely bet that this is teasing that track.
No. 4: What the Heck Does “ICLYA” Stand For?
Ella Langley, YouTube
At the end of the “Choosin’ Texas” music video, Langley’s character meets Lambert’s, and Langley confides in Lambert that she’s afraid she’s losing her relationship. Lambert says their tour van is headed back to Tennessee and offers her a ride.
Langley accepts, and hops into the van as the camera prominently displays its Tennessee license plate, reading “ICLYA.”
There’s way too much focus on the plate for it to be a coincidence, but what does it stand for? Most fans seem to be guessing “I Can’t Love You Anymore,” perhaps another new song title (or even a duet with Lambert?).
But as of now, it’s anyone’s best guess.
No. 5: The Backstory Behind Kaitlin Butts’ Cameo (Fun Fact!)
Ella Langley, YouTube
Kaitlin Butts is actually not from Texas like many of the other artists who made cameos in the “Choosin’ Texas” video. She’s from Oklahoma, though, and has ties to the country music scene.
Butts and Langley are good friends, and they’ve toured together and shared stages.
Last year, Langley also famously lip synced to Butts’ viral hit “You Ain’t Gotta Die (To Be Dead to Me)” in a TikTok post.
Read More: Ella Langley Clears Up Romance Rumors About Riley Green
This was smack-dab in the middle of a bunch of romance rumors that were circulating about Langley and her “You Look Like You Love Me” duet partner Riley Green, and many fans drew a connection between those rumors and Langley’s posts of Butts’ song.
Those rumors also included a love triangle with Megan Moroney, so it’s a bit of a full-circle moment that Butts would play a role in this fictional love triangle in the story for the “Choosin’ Texas” video.
The 10 Best Ella Langley Songs
As a breakout artist, having one massive hit is sort of a mixed blessing. So it is with Ella Langley and “You Look Like You Love Me,” a Riley Green duet that was a monster country radio hit in 2024.
It’s a great song, but fans are doing themselves a disservice if they don’t dig further. In fact, the very top song on this list is another — way underrated — track. Keep reading to see which one it is!
Gallery Credit: Carena Liptak
