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I’m sure it would be a huge hit. Last week at the 59th CMA Awards, Ella Langley and Riley Green took home three awards for their 2024 smash hit, “you look like you love me.” The track would win Single and Song of the Year as well as Music Video of the Year, sweeping its three eligible categories and becoming the FIRST song in the history of the CMA Awards to take home all three awards on a single night. The song has obviously put up massive streaming numbers (267 million on Spotify alone), and has been one of the most-played songs on Billboard’s new TouchTunes Frontline chart, peaking at #6 throughout the second quarter of 2025. Couple all those accolades with a 2x platinum certification from the RIAA and a #1 spot on Billboard’s Country Airplay chart last December, and you have yourself one of the most successful songs of the past few years. It’s been a juggernaut, to say the least, and they’ve also had a lot of success with their other duet “Don’t Mind If I Do,” which was featured on Riley’s 2024 album of the same name, and we all know their a duo that really works… so well, in fact, that dating rumors surrounded them for the better part of a year which I’m sure you heard about at some point. But musically, their styles just work, and Riley told iHeart Country the other day that they might do another duet one day because they’ve seen how well it works: “It would be really difficult not to try to do another song with Ella because that’s really worked well. I think any collaboration that I do has got to be something that’s really organic. And just, you know, somebody that I have a relationship with, somebody I’m friends with, somebody I’m a fan of, and has the same musical inspirations that I did. I think me and Ella grew up the same way, and I think fans can tell when it’s real. There’s certainly some collaborations that go through management and labels and the proper channels, and I’ve never done it that way. It’s always been somebody I’m friends with says ‘Hey, I like this song, wanna be a part of it?’” He added that the fans were obviously a huge part of making it a hit, and he was blown away at how well it was received, because like he’s mentioned before, he feared it might be “too traditional” for 2025: “I thought it was a cool thing. I thought the chorus was catchy. It stayed in your head, but then we played it on the road and it became a thing,” he said. “You couldn’t open your phone without hearing it, and it became a radio hit. ‘Don’t Mind If I Do’ is kind of the same way. I had no idea it was gonna be that. So, I got to watch fans’ excitement when Ella would come out on stage with me when we were on tour together, and we would do those songs. That doesn’t happen much for an artist, two artists to have two really big songs together while they’re touring together. We got to do that for the better part of two years.” It was lighting in a bottle in many ways, and it clearly helped both of their careers in immeasurable ways, and while I think if another duet does happen again, it will be a while from now, I’m sure it would be a huge hit because they make a powerhouse duo. Though it will be hard to top what this song did for them… “you look like you love me” The post Riley Green Says It Would Be “Really Difficult” Not To Do Another Duet With Ella Langley After How Successful “You Look Like You Love Me” Has Been first appeared on Whiskey Riff.

Not a want but a need. In honor of Veterans Day, Cody Johnson finally released his official studio cover of “Travelin’ Soldier,” which fans have been begging him to do for years at this point. You’ve probably seen the mega-viral video of Cody’s acoustic performance of the song, which first went viral back in June of 2020, during the height of the pandemic, when CoJo did a live stream with his backing band. He eventually released an acoustic cover on his YouTube channel in March of 2022, and it exploded from there. Once Johnson released it as a single, it exploded on streaming platforms as well, becoming the highest charting song of Johnson’s career, debuting at No. 12 on the Billboard Hot 100 Chart, which encompasses all musical genres. It also got nearly 15 million global streams in its first week, making it the No. 1 streamed country song for the week and placing it at No. 11 across all genres. The track also debuted in the top 10 on Billboard’s Hot Country Chart. Cody Johnson explained that he’s known he would cut “Travelin’ Soldier” for a while, and it’s been an incredible journey getting to hear so many stories from his fans about what this song means to them: “It’s been three years since we released an acoustic cover of ‘Travelin’ Soldier.’ The fans responded so enthusiastically and began requesting it during our live shows, so it’s remained on the set list. I had no idea that it was going to give me the opportunity to hear, see, and bring words to y’all’s stories. I knew at some point, when the time felt right, we needed to record it in the studio.” While “Travelin’ Soldier” was well worth the wait for a studio cut, there is another cover from Johnson that I’m hoping he has the same plans to take to the studio one day. His cover of Glen Campbell’s “Wichita Lineman.” Johnson recorded the cover back in 2021 as a part of his CMT Campfire Session, and it’s genuinely a flawless nod to Glen Campbell. The track was written in 1968 by Jimmy Webb for Glen Campbell and is considered one of the first existential country songs. Bob Dylan even once called “Wichita Lineman” the “greatest song ever written,” and it’s stood the test of time, making the Rolling Stone list of 500 Greatest Songs Of All Time, landing at number 206. Webb was inspired to write the tune while driving through the Oklahoma Panhandle and seeing lines of telephone poles, putting himself in the place of one of those linemen, talking on the phone to his girlfriend. Although the Oklahoma plains inspired the tune, Webb set the song in Kansas. “I am a lineman for the county And I drive the main road Searchin’ in the sun for another overload I hear you singing in the wire I can hear you through the whine And the Wichita lineman Is still on the line…” Over the years, the track has been covered by numerous artists, including Dwight Yoakam, Midland, Drake Milligan, and more. While all those covers are excellent to say the least, something about Johnson’s silky smooth twangs and cowboy background makes the words pop a smidge more. “Wichita Lineman” represents the complex thoughts of a blue collar lineman. As Johnson delivers the lyrics while sitting around a fire, viewers are captivated by the ease with which he delivers them and by the emotion he conveys. It’s genuinely the perfect fireside performance. Cody Johnson, this is the cover we ask you to take to the studio next. The world needs it. If you aren’t familiar with the performance, check it out: And without the original, we would not have this stellar version to enjoy, so fire up Glen Campbell’s version while you’re here, too: The post Now That Cody Johnson Gave Fans His Cover Of “Travelin’ Soldier,” We Need Him To Cut “Wichita Lineman” Next first appeared on Whiskey Riff.

One of his biggest inspirations, and now, closest friends. Morgan Wallen is gearing up to release a limited-edition I’m The Problem CD zine, which is slated to drop on December 19th, and the book promises exclusive interviews with the likes of Wallen himself and other collaborators, articles reflecting on the record penned by the “Whiskey Glasses” singer, exclusive lyric sheets of all 37 songs and, of course, the highly anticipated letter from Morgan’s father. And fans are getting an early look at some of the stories, as a preview on his website describes Morgan’s childhood years in a rural church in east Tennessee, where he first started singing and playing piano: “I grew up in a very rural Southern Baptist church, singing gospel and bluegrass. When I was 5 years old, I asked for a violin for Christmas, and I’d play piano growing up, but I wasn’t allowed to listen to secular music when I was a kid.” But it’s obvious in his current music that his faith isn’t the only inspiration. Morgan discovered early 2000s rock band Breaking Benjamin when his friends first played him the CD, and once he started playing travel baseball, he got into a lot of rap and hip hop: “The first non-Christian album I bought was a Breaking Benjamin CD. My buddies were listening to that kind of stuff. Then around 2006, I was playing travel baseball, and we were in Atlanta. I remember being in the car with my friend and his parents, and TI came on the radio. I’d never heard anything like it before – the way that he enunciated and used his words. It was so cool. I started listening to a lot of Atlanta and Memphis hip-hop after that.” Those types of influences are certainly still prominent in Morgan’s music, to the chagrin of many more traditional country fans, but it was Eric Church who really sparked Morgan’s love for country music in particular. Morgan says Eric’s lyrics really spoke to him, and he fell in love with all of his albums… and the rest, as they say, is history: “Later, I got into Eric Church, and I didn’t really ever get into country music until I listened to him. What struck me most was how I could just picture all his lyrics. I started digging deeper and listening to all of his catalog. I mean, I knew every bit of his first three records. I could sing them all.” They of course now co-own Field & Stream together, and Eric has been featured on several Morgan Wallen songs, some of his best songs in my opinion, in “Quittin’ Time,” “Man Made a Bar” and most recently, “Number 3 and Number 7.” They’ve become close friends too, and Morgan even called Eric right before he got arrested at Eric’s bar on Broadway in Nashville… I can’t imagine what it’s like now to be close friends with the person who made you fall in country music, considering Morgan is now the biggest country star, and one of the world’s most famous musicians, all because he gave Sinners Like Me a spin. To be fair, that is one of the albums that first made me fall in love with country music, and I still think it’s one of Eric’s best records. Actually, I think that about all three of his first three albums Morgan referenced. I’m sure there’s plenty more stories like this in that 100-page CD zine, and Morgan will hit the road once again in 2026 for his Still The Problem stadium tour, and likely has some new music coming next year too. Still The Problem Tour Dates April 10 || Minneapolis, Minn. || U.S. Bank Stadium w/ Thomas Rhett, Gavin Adcock, Vincent Mason April 11 || Minneapolis, Minn. || U.S. Bank Stadium w/ HARDY, Gavin Adcock, Vincent Mason April 18 || Tuscaloosa, Ala. || Saban Field at Bryant-Denny Stadium w/ Ella Langley, Vincent Mason, Zach John King May 1 || Las Vegas, Nev. || Allegiant Stadium w/ Brooks & Dunn, Gavin Adcock, Vincent Mason May 2 || Las Vegas, Nev. || Allegiant Stadium w/ Thomas Rhett, Gavin Adcock, Vincent Mason May 8 || Indianapolis, Ind. || Lucas Oil Stadium w/ Brooks & Dunn, Hudson Westbrook, Zach John King May 9 || Indianapolis, Ind. || Lucas Oil Stadium w/ Ella Langley, Flatland Cavalry, Zach John King May 15 || Gainesville, Fla. || Ben Hill Griffin Stadium w/ Thomas Rhett, Gavin Adcock, Zach John King May 16 || Gainesville, Fla. || Ben Hill Griffin Stadium w/ Ella Langley, Gavin Adcock, Zach John King May 29 || Denver, Colo. || Empower Field at Mile High w/ Brooks & Dunn, Gavin Adcock, Vincent Mason May 30 || Denver, Colo. || Empower Field at Mile High w/ Ella Langley, Gavin Adcock, Vincent Mason June 5 || Pittsburgh, Penn. || Acrisure Stadium w/ Brooks & Dunn, Gavin Adcock, Zach John King June 6 || Pittsburgh, Penn. || Acrisure Stadium w/ Ella Langley, Gavin Adcock, Zach John King June 19 || Chicago, Ill. || Soldier Field w/ Brooks & Dunn, Gavin Adcock, Zach John King June 20 || Chicago, Ill. || Soldier Field w/ Ella Langley, Gavin Adcock, Zach John King June 26 || Clemson, SC. || Clemson Memorial Stadium w/ Brooks & Dunn, Gavin Adcock, Jason Scott & The High Heat June 27 || Clemson, SC. || Clemson Memorial Stadium w/ Ella Langley, Gavin Adcock, Jason Scott & The High Heat July 17 || Baltimore, Md. || M&T Bank Stadium w/ Brooks & Dunn, Gavin Adcock, Jason Scott & The High Heat July 18 || Baltimore, Md. || M&T Bank Stadium w/ Ella Langley, Gavin Adcock, Jason Scott & The High Heat July 24 || Ann Arbor, Mich. || Michigan Stadium w/ Thomas Rhett, Hudson Westbrook, Blake Whiten July 25 || Ann Arbor, Mich. || Michigan Stadium w/ HARDY, Hudson Westbrook, Blake Whiten July 31 || Philadelphia, Penn. || Lincoln Financial Field w/ ​​Brooks & Dunn, Hudson Westbrook, Blake Whiten August 1 || Philadelphia, Penn. || Lincoln Financial Field w/ Ella Langley, Hudson Westbrook, Blake White “Number 3 and Number 7” “Man Made A Bar’  The post Morgan Wallen Says He Never Listened To Country Music Until He Discovered Eric Church: “I Knew Every Bit Of His First Three Records… I Could Sing Them All” first appeared on Whiskey Riff.