It's already been a wild year for Ella Langley.
Videos by Wide Open Country
The singer currently has two Billboard Top Ten songs: "Choosin' Texas" and "Be Her." The former song won her two of five Academy of Country Music Awards last month, including Single of the Year and Song of the Year. She also won Female Artist, Artist-Songwriter, and Music Event of the Year (for "Don't Mind If I Do" with Riley Green).
And while her rise may seem sudden for those outside of Nashville, Langley has been on our radar for years. But as PEOPLE reports, she still has to work hard to stay grounded.
Ella Langley Says Her Secret Is Simplicity
Langley explains that Dandelion, which has proven to be her breakthrough album, was mapped out early on in the songwriting process. She shared that she intended to tell a story. However, that didn't mean that she tried to overcomplicate things. For example, "Be Her" was written rather quickly.
"That song took 30 minutes to write, and it's because we didn't try so hard. We didn't sit in there and try to outdo ourselves every single line, and it just, if it felt right, we put it in the song," she explains. "Same thing for songs like 'You & Me Time' on there or 'Broken,' songs that I wanted people to be able to sing this record, even if you heard the song once. By the end of the song, you might be able to catch along."
Ella Langley Says She Is "Not a Perfect Person"
As she navigates her new found fame, Langley shared that one way she keeps her feet on the ground is by collaborating with the right people.
"It's really important for me to work with people that let me be myself and really let me showcase my artistry in the way that I feel is authentic to me," she explains.
But even with the strong support around her, the singer will be the first to admit that despite her success, she is still trying to figure things out.
"I'm not a perfect person, and I don't know the answer," she said. "I'm pretty much winging it every day of my life."
Langley adds, "I'm just trying to answer the questions and do things the way that one day when I look back, at least I did it the way that I thought was right in my gut. Staying true to that is what's keeping me sane."
