Closing out the year, breaking records. Ella Langley has had a standout year to say the least, and this is not the first record that the Alabama native has set in 2025. There is no denying that Ella Langley has been on a hot streak since her viral duet “You Look Like You Love Me” featuring Riley Green. The song was the first song in CMA Award history to win Music Video of the Year, Musical Event of the Year, Song of the Year, and Single of the Year. And Ella Langley might be on track to do the same thing with her latest single, “Choosin’ Texas.” “Choosin’ Texas” has been such a success, in fact, that it scored Langley her first-career #1 hit on Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart, rising from #4 to #1. Ella Langley's "Choosin' Texas" jumps 4-1 on this week's Hot Country Songs chart, becoming her first career No. 1 on the chart. — billboard charts (@billboardcharts) December 2, 2025 The track, which was now famously co-written with Miranda Lambert (along with Joybeth Taylor and Luke Dick), was released on October 17 and quickly became one of the most buzzed-about songs of the year for a couple of reasons. The release of the single added fuel to the fire of the seemingly never-ending online drama surrounding Langley and Green’s relationship, with countless fans online speculating whether the song was written about Green himself. This theory was mainly due to the single’s artwork depicting a couple, a man wearing a cowboy hat and a blonde woman, in a red convertible, which made fans once again stir up rumors surrounding the alleged “love triangle” between Langley, Green and Megan Moroney. Unsurprisingly, Langley would all but deny these rumors, telling fans at her Athens, Georgia, concert back in October that she’ll never reveal who the song is about. “This girl’s up here, she’s trying to get me to spill the tea on who it’s about. Baby, I ain’t ever gonna do that. I ain’t never gonna do that. But I am gonna play the song, it’s called ‘Choosin’ Texas.’” However, I don’t think it matters who the song is about, because it’s one of the best she’s ever put out, and it’s undoubtedly a fan favorite. The hit has been such a fan favorite that it’s making waves in streaming and on the radio as well. Miranda Lambert recently shared a graphic highlighting all the milestones the single has achieved since its October 17 release date, noting: “Y’all sure are Choosin’ Texas. Proud of this song Ella Langley.” “Choosin’ Texas” racked up quite a list of honors, including the Spotify & Billboard #1 Best Country Song of 2025, reaching number one on the Apple Music Chart and the Billboard Hot Country Songs Chart, and it had a four-week run as the number one country song in the UK. However, one of the most notable notes on this list is slightly hidden at the bottom and might be one of the most important… According to Mediabase, “Choosin’ Texas” was the fastest solo female song to reach the top 10 at US Country Radio this decade. It reached the top 10 in just eight weeks, which broke Lainey Wilson’s record for “Watermelon Moonshine,” which took 12 weeks. If this does not prove that Ella Langley is a force to be reckoned with… I’m not sure what does. Keep the hits coming, girl. .@ellalangleymsic’s “Choosin’ Texas” is now the fastest climbing solo female song to reach the Top 10 at US Country Radio (Mediabase) this decade (8 weeks). It surpasses @laineywilson’s “Watermelon Moonshine” (12 weeks). pic.twitter.com/FC0hbQKbaj — U.S. Radio Updater (@USRadioUpdater) December 14, 2025 Definitely give this one a spin if you haven’t yet: “Choosin’ Texas” The post Ella Langley’s “Choosin’ Texas” Is The Fastest Solo Female Song To Reach The Country Radio Top 10 This Decade first appeared on Whiskey Riff.

A year-end recap hearing from the fans. As the year comes to a close, we have been having some fun here at Whiskey Riff commenting on our favorite moments from 2025. Whether it’s providing commentary on our favorites of the year, like sharing our Top 40 Albums of the Year, or just revisiting crazy viral moments like Zach Bryan jumping a barbed-wire fence trying to fight Gavin Adcock, there are many things to look back on over the last 365 days. And while there was a lot that happened in the music scene that was groundbreaking, in a good way, like the Red Clay Strays finally overthrowing Old Dominion for CMA Vocal Group of the Year, Zach Top being named as CMA New Artist of the Year, and Ella Langley and Riley Green closing out an incredible run on awards for their smash hit “You Look Like You Love Me,” becoming the first song in CMA history to be named as Song of the Year, Single of the Year, Music Video of the Year, and Musical Event of the Year (which was won during the 2024 CMA Awards). And while there were many milestones achieved through streaming numbers and chart-toppers, let’s be honest, most of the real memories made each year around music involve the shows you attend. With artists spending a good portion of the year on the road, it lends itself to many memorable on-stage moments as well, like Cody Canada honoring his late friend Todd Snider, the Red Clay Strays bringing a cancer survivor on stage who listened to their music during treatment, Johnny Blue Skies announcing a new record at Red Rocks, and many more. The moments on stage create lifelong memories and can be highlights for fans for years to come. And let’s be honest, there is no better feeling than finally hearing a walkout song for a concert that you bought tickets for months prior. Of course, we could have our team at Whiskey Riff share all the fantastic shows we had the pleasure of attending this year, but given that there are only about eight of us here, that would leave a lot of shows we were not able to go to. So, we opened the floor for you all to share the best shows you attended this year. View this post on Instagram Without further ado, here are the best concerts country fans saw this year, from the fans: “Johnny Blue Skies at Stubb’s.” “Alan Jackson in Fort Worth.” “Zach Bryan Met Life. Insanity.” “Shane Smith & the Saints are Red Rocks.” “Ya know Ragweed played a few shows this year. They were the best.” “Treaty Oak Revival at Dickies Arena!” “Charles Wesley Godwin acoustic show or the Auburn Rodeo with Red Clay Strays/Zach Top.” “Lucky enough to see George Strait twice this year, but one of those shows was a benefit with only 1000 people. Incredible!” “Gavin Adcock.” “Treaty Oak, Floore’s Helotes, Texas!” “Billy Strings.” “Parker McCollum and Kameron Marlowe at Red Rocks.” “Johnny Blue Skies 4 times, each better than the last, Night 2 at Red Rocks being the best live show ever performed in human history.” “Boys from Oklahoma tour.” “Ernest at the Ryman.” “Jake Worthington and Zach Top at Las Vegas NFR.” “Willie Nelson and Turnpike Troubadours, Charles Wesley Godwin and Willow Avalon.” “Cross Canadian Ragweed, Turnpike, Jason Boland, and Reckless Kelly in Boone Pickens Stadium.” “Well, normally I’d say Turnpike Troubadours, but looking back on it all. It was the Mavericks.” “Whiskey Meyers, Lake Tahoe.” “Zach Bryan Notre Dame Stadium.” “Cody Johnson.” “John Moreland.” “Childers at the Hollywood Bowl, Eric Church at Red Rocks, Paul McCartney at the Santa Barbara Bowl.” “TURNPIKE AT RED ROCKS.” “Braxton Keith by far.” “Zach Top at Red Rocks or Cody Johnson at Cheyenne Frontier Days.” Hot dang, you guys were out and about in 2025. This stellar list scratches the surface of the list of shows attended this year, further proving our point that 2025 was a standout year for country music. Cheers to this year and seeing what 2026 has in store. The post Country Fans Sound Off On Their Favorite Concerts Of 2025 first appeared on Whiskey Riff.

Doing whatever it takes to make his dream a reality. Cody Johnson knows the value of hard work, from both growing up working on a ranch and learning the cowboy way of life, and also from his early days trying to make a name for himself in country music. It requires an incredible amount of sacrifice and commitment, years of rejection and playing for tiny crowds of people, all without the guarantee that you’ll ever actually “make it” or not. You just have the hope that one day, if you work hard enough and stick with it, something might finally go your way and you can graduate to bigger venues and maybe even a record deal. And during a recent conversation with RFD-TV for an episode of On The Record, Cody recalled one specific time when he was driving from Mount Rushmore to Omaha, Nebraska to play another gig, and he only had $100 until the next gig. He had to make a choice between eating or putting gas in the tank to make the drive, and he chose the has. He pointed out that it was a reflection of much he loved country music, adding that he would “do it again in a minute”: “We drove from Mount Rushmore to Omaha, Nebraska to make the next gig. And I had $100 leftover from what we had been doing. I had a choice to either put the $100 in the gas tank, or get something to eat. So I chose the gas tank. That’s how much I love country music. From the very beginning, I wanted to be in front of people playing and sharing that piece of my soul. I’d do it again in a minute. I’d do it a hundred times over. It’s all about the getting there.” Interestingly, he also explained that he doesn’t actually have the desire to “make it,” because he’s afraid that if he does, that means the whole dream and journey is over. He is still driven and motivated by his country music dreams, and he wants it to be that way forever: “Everybody wants to make it, and I’m like, I hope I never make it. Because if I make it, then it’s over. I always want to have something else to strive for and bust your butt for.” From the outside looking in, I think most of us would say Cody is way beyond the “making it” phase of his career, but it’s this kind of attitude that has gotten him this far, and it’s clearly worked so I don’t think there’s any point in stopping now. It also must keep you humble to a certain extent, and I think that definitely translates with the fans and keeps them engaged with the music and Cody and his brand as a whole: View this post on Instagram The full episode is available below. The post Cody Johnson Recalls His Early Days In Country Music & Having To Pick Between Eating Or Putting Gas In His Tank To Get To The Next Venue first appeared on Whiskey Riff.

Need it. It’s safe to say that The Red Clay Strays are one of the hottest bands on the planet right now. Between frontman Brandon Coleman’s killer vocals, the flawless blend of country, gospel, roots and southern rock influences and the sheer musical talent present from each of the six members, it was more than apparent that the Alabama group was bound to break out into the stratosphere at some point sooner or later. And it looks like that day has finally come for the band. If you’ve been paying any attention to the alt. country scene over the past three or so years, you’re keen to the fact that they’ve already scored some major career accomplishments, including the likes of winning Emerging Artist of the Year at the 2024 Americana Awards, winning New Vocal Duo or Group at the 2025 ACM Awards and scoring a 3x platinum certification from the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for their breakout “Wondering Why” along with a gold certification for their debut album, Moment of Truth. Last month, however, it seems as if the Alabama band cemented themselves as mainstays both in the minds of alternative country fans and the mainstream alike with their huge night at the 59th annual CMA Awards, delivering a killer performance of their current single, “People Hatin’,” before dethroning Old Dominion as Vocal Group of the Year en route to their first-ever CMA win. It’s safe to say that Red Clay is on the cusp of superstardom heading into next year after their huge 2025, complete with major shows at the likes of Madison Square Garden and The Bridgestone Arena, as well as a new album coming in the summer. With so much excitement surrounding the band lately, Coleman, decided to give fans one last gift before the new year. This gift, more specifically, a Christmas gift, was none other than a surprise acoustic performance of the two-century-old Christmas classic, “Silent Night,” recorded straight from his living room. Posted to The Red Clay Strays’ Instagram on Sunday morning, the video has already gone viral, racking up over 900,000 views, 63,700 likes, 1,210 comments and 1,440 reposts in just 22 hours. View this post on Instagram At this point, it should go without saying that Coleman has one of the best pure voices in the genre, and it’s put on full display here. With the Coleman family’s gorgeous Christmas tree setting the scene perfectly in the background, he delivered what can only be described as a stunning acoustic performance of the classic Christmas hymn, channeling a little bit of Elvis in his vocals. It’s one of those acoustic videos that simply stop you in your tracks and prevents you from scrolling to the next video on your feed, and it looks like many fans in the comments shared the same sentiment. Beyond the string of comments calling the performance beautiful, many commenters would beg Coleman to release the song, along with an entire Christmas album, in the coming year. “We need a Christmas album” “Release a Christmas album! I don’t care if it’s in June. I’ll listen to it.” “So beautiful” “Oh man!!! I love his voice. Gimme all the Xmas music.” “And that is what Christmas is all about.” “This is absurd. Brandon needs to drop a Christmas album just like this.” “Please release this on streaming services” “Just what my heart needed to hear this morning. Chills and tears.” I can’t say I disagree with any of the comments here. Similar to the string of live Christmas performances lately from Shane Smith & the Saints on both “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” with Lainey Wilson and their solo rendition of “O Holy Night” the past few weeks, Coleman (and Red Clay Strays by extension) have now become the newest alt. country band to wow fans and critics alike with a stunning holiday performance. The Red Clay Strays Tour Dates April 24 – Georgetown, TX – Two Step Inn 2026 May 24 – Norfolk, VA – Patriotic Fest 2026 June 13 – Columbus, OH – Buckeye Country Superfest 2026 July 19 – Cheyenne, WY – Cheyenne Frontier Days August 9 – New York, NY – Madison Square Garden October 22 – Nashville, TN – Bridgestone Arena October 23 – Nashville, TN – Bridgestone ArenaThe post The Red Clay Strays’ Brandon Coleman Shares Stunning Acoustic Performance Of “Silent Night” & Fans Are Begging For A Christmas Album first appeared on Whiskey Riff.

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