Watch: Ella Langley's heartache story unfolds in cinematic 'Choosin' Texas' music video

Ella Langley and Luke Grimes visit his “good old stomping grounds” in the cinematic Choosin’ Texas music video.

The award-winning artist and the star of Yellowstone and Marshals play a couple headed for heartache when they arrive in Abilene, Texas. Ella can’t help but wonder, “you ever wish you didn’t leave Texas?” Luke admitted, “sometimes,” and added, “then I wouldn’t have met you.”

Ella and Luke agreed to meet up with some of his friends at a local saloon, alive with crowds of patrons clad in cowboy hats, ubiquitous pool tables, glowing Christmas lights strung on the ceiling, a band led by country megastar Miranda Lambert, and more. As Ella and Luke ordered a drink at the bar, Luke locked eyes with a former flame, played by actress and model Ava Phillippe (daughter of award-winning actress and producer Reese Witherspoon). Ava went on to share glances with country artist Kaitlin Butts, who confronted Ella in the bathroom.

“You’re not from around here, are you?” Kaitlin asked as the two women stood in front of the mirrors.

“No. Tennessee, actually,” Ella replied.

“I can tell,” Kaitlin said. She added, as Ava and Luke reconnected over a drink, “you got some kind of nerve bringing him around here again. …Just so you know, Texas has a way of keeping what’s hers.”

Ella and Luke hit the dance floor; however, the Marshals actor continued to steal glimpses of his ex-girlfriend. Ella stepped outside, where she found Miranda and her band. The two singers shared a drink together, and Ella admitted, “I think the guy that I’m in love with is in love with somebody else.”

“Sounds like he ain’t the one for you then,” Miranda told her, and said there’s “room for one more,” if Ella needed a ride back to Tennessee. Ultimately, Ella chose to take Miranda up on the offer, and Luke stood alone as the van pulled away.

Ella directed the video with Wales Toney and Caylee Robillard. It also features JB Mauney, Tyson Durfey, Shad Mayfield, Leighton Berry, Dale Brisby, Shea Fisher Durfey, Tanner Usrey, Wade Bowen and others, and filmed at Stagecoach Ballroom in Fort Worth, Texas.

The Alabama-born country artist teamed up with Ella, Joybeth Taylor and Luke Dick to write the history-making heartache single, which she released in October 2025. She followed Choosin’ Texas with Dandelion, Be Her and Loving Life Again from her highly-anticipated sophomore studio record. Dandelion will arrive on Friday, April 10.

“We were just having a writer’s retreat, and she [Miranda] was telling me this story about how she had a kangaroo in her passenger seat, and she got pulled over, and the cop was like, ‘oh, you have Texas plates.’ And I went, ‘well, she’s from Texas, I can tell,’ Ella said on the 2026 iHeartRadio Music Awards red carpet, reflecting on the story behind Choosin’ Texas. “And literally just from that phrase, the ‘she’s from Texas, I can tell by the way,’ kind of just fell out, and I think we all latched onto that story of, ‘oh, he picked the other girl.’ You know? He picked someone else. I think everyone’s had a crush, and at some point that crush was more into somebody else at one point. If not, then lucky you or you’re lying.”

Watch Ella's new Choosin’ Texas music video above!

Hear Ella Langley, Miranda Lambert, Kaitlin Butts and more of your favourite country artists on iHeartCountry NZ by using the player below.