Ella Langley is one of country music's red-hot superstars. With the monster success of "Choosin' Texas," she solidified her stature as a huge fan favorite of the genre. However, Langley's cover of "Jolene" on the recent televised star-packed tribute to the late Dolly Parton, CMA Presents I Will Always Love You: A Celebration of Dolly Parton on Wednesday, October 21, garnered both praise and dour comments. It seemingly left some audience members unimpressed. The song just seemed to some to be a bad fit for Langley.
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Nevertheless, to be fair, there were those who really liked the performance. For example, Rolling Stone labeled it "smoldering." TMZ prounounced it "sultry."
Still, her rendition seemed to lack the right degree of "oomph," for wont of a better word. In comparison with Miley Cyrus's fierce version of the track, Langley's looked a bit pallid. (Cyrus is Dolly Parton's goddaughter.) What made the "Dandelion" singer's effort even more conspicuously wanting in the minds of some is the fact that "Jolene" is one of Parton's most famous and beloved songs. To perform it without fully doing it justice, at least according to some people's opinion, was a glaring misstep. And Ella Langley doesn't often put a foot wrong.
Some Fans Disparaged Langley's Performance of the Storied Song; Others Liked It
While the fan reactions were by no means all negative, some of them clearly were. Many people took to the Instagram account of Country News Daily to vent.
Wrote one observer, "...I normally love Ella but her rendition was kinda weird. She was trying to put her own personal touch on a classic and it came off not the best...."
Noted another, "Love Ella! But didn't love her version of this song."
The Ella supporters were just as vocal. Commented one, "She did an awesome job!"
Remarked someone else, "It was an outstanding rendition...."
The Singer Spoke Recently About All the Intense Scrutiny She Gets
Ironically, Ella Langley spoke recently about being so closely scrutinized by the public. She said per USA Today in Ohio at a September 25 concert, "I don't think I've ever had more opinions on myself in my life than I have in this last year. Th way I look, the way I speak, the way I dress, the way I move, the way I sing, the way I write."
Now, after singing "Jolene," there are even more opinions. Being in the limelight can be relentless.
