Before Miranda Lambert took the stage at the Daytona 500’s pre-race show, she said in a press conference that her set was going to be “short and sweet,” and packed with hits.
Fans (correctly) guessed that that meant “Fastest Girl in Town” was on the list. Songs like “Little Red Wagon” also felt appropriate for a NASCAR setting. But one of the most memorable moments from Lambert’s performance was a cover that nobody saw coming.
Watch Miranda Lambert Cover Ella Langley’s “Choosin’ Texas” at Daytona 500
Lambert took a break from her own catalog to cover a brand-new hit from Ella Langley: “Choosin’ Texas.”
Released last October ahead of Langley’s upcoming Dandelion album, “Choosin’ Texas” has had an unprecedented turn on the charts. Last week, the song hit No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100.
That made it the first song from a female artist to reach the top spot on that chart, the Hot Country Songs chart and the Country Airplay chart. It’s Langley’s loudest debut to date — and that’s saying something, coming from the artist who released “You Look Like You Love Me.”
Why Did Miranda Lambert Cover Ella Langley’s “Choosin’ Texas”?
But Lambert didn’t just cover “Choosin’ Texas” because it’s a massively popular song that her friend recorded.
Lambert is a co-writer on the hit, alongside Luke Dick and Joybeth Taylor. The song’s rise to No. 1 on the Hot 100 also marks Lambert’s first time at the top of that chart.
Read More: Ella Langley’s ‘Choosin’ Texas’ Was Inspired By Miranda Lambert and…a Baby Kangeroo?!
Langley has said that they were inspired to write the song after Lambert shared a story about getting pulled over while she had a baby kangeroo in the backseat of her car.
“She said the lady cop pulled her over and she said, ‘Of course I had Texas plates on the back of my car,'” Langley recounted. “And I said, ‘Well, she’s from Texas, I can tell.'”
Jason Kempin, Getty Images
It’s still a little unclear what that kangeroo was doing in Lambert’s vehicle in the first place, but if you’re familiar with the singer’s passion for animal advocacy, the story doesn’t sound all that crazy.
The end result was that Lambert became very close to “Choosin’ Texas”: She co-wrote the song, and also partially inspired it.
What Else Did Miranda Lambert Sing at the Daytona 500?
Footage of Lambert’s performance posted by Nascar shows that her set included another of her best-loved hits: “Kerosene.”
20 Things Miranda Lambert Has Done in the Last 20 Years
Miranda Lambert has been a busy woman since her debut studio album Kerosene arrived in 2005. In addition to several more albums and tours, the country singer scratched her entrepreneurial itch by starting a line of clothing and opening a bar.
She’s also continued to wear her heart on her sleeve with her MuttNation Foundation, which is dedicated to helping animals. These are just a few of the things Lambert has done, both personally and professionally, in the last 20 years.
Gallery Credit: Jess
