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Kelly Clarkson spotlighted “one of my favorite new country artists” on The Kelly Clarkson Show.
The powerhouse singer-songwriter and talk show host covered “better be tough” by Ella Langley, a rapidly-rising country star. Langley, 25, released “better be tough” on her debut record, hungover, which arrived in August (the deluxe edition, still hungover, followed in October). She wrote it with Brett James, Erik Anderson, Erik Dylan and Will Bundy. Langley’s 14-track album also includes “you look like you love me,” her viral duet with fellow Alabama-born artist Riley Green. The collaboration won Musical Event of the Year at the 58th Country Music Association Awards in November 2024.
“I love everything she’s been putting out right now,” Clarkson said of Langley when she covered the cheating anthem on The Kelly Clarkson Show. “She’s like one of my favorite new country artists.”
“If you're gonna be dumb, you better be tough/ Don't come cryin', tryna make it back up/ If you're gonna lay down with the junkyard dogs/ Better be ready for a girl done wrong/ Talkin' sugar in your Chevy, four flat tires/ Six-string Tele', set it on fire/ Guess your daddy never told you when you were growin' up/ If you're gonna be dumb, you better be tough”
Langley’s “better be tough” is the latest country song Clarkson has covered on her show. Previously, the original American Idol champ has performed hits and deep cuts by Keith Urban, Lainey Wilson, Willie Nelson, Luke Combs, Reba McEntire, Shania Twain, The Judds and more. Watch Clarkson perform “better be tough” here: