Ella Langley “Choosin’ Texas” Music Video: Full Cast, Every Cameo & Easter Eggs Explained

Ella Langley’s “Choosin’ Texas” spent four weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 breaking Taylor Swift’s record for the longest run by a female country artist on both the Hot 100 and Hot Country Songs simultaneously.

It has surpassed 525 million global streams.Now Langley has matched the song’s scale with a music video that plays more like a short film than a standard promo.

The official video premiered April 1, 2026, on CMT, MTV Live, MTVU, and on the Paramount Times Square billboard. It pulled 1.5 million YouTube views in 24 hours, landing at No. 2 on trending. It’s now approaching 5 million total. Here is every cameo, the full story behind the filming location, and the Easter eggs most viewers missed.

Where Was the Video Filmed?

The video was shot entirely at the Stagecoach Ballroom in Fort Worth, Texas a dance hall that has been open continuously since 1961.It’s a piece of Texas culture history. The venue previously appeared in the 1986 film Square Dance, starring Rob Lowe and a young Winona Ryder.

Langley’s team pulled the entire production together in just two weeks.Fort Worth’s Stockyards district also features as part of the backdrop, anchoring the visuals in the city’s Western identity.

“When Ella chose Stagecoach Ballroom for this production, it felt like she was bringing a heartbeat back to our dance floor,” said Julia Paur of the Stagecoach Ballroom in an official statement.

The video was co-directed by Langley alongside Wales Toney and Caylee Robillard. Lukas Lennon produced it, with support from the Fort Worth Film Commission and Visit Fort Worth.

The Fort Worth connection runs deeper than one video. Langley’s Dandelion Tour closes at Dickies Arena in Fort Worth on August 15  making the city both the video’s spiritual home and the final stop on her first headlining arena run.

The Plot: A Texas Love Triangle

The video opens with Langley and Luke Grimes in a white pickup truck heading into Abilene, Texas his character’s hometown.She asks quietly: “Do you ever wish you didn’t leave Texas?”

His reply “sometimes… not when I met you” sets everything in motion.

They walk into a local bar. His character spots a woman from his past. The pull of home proves impossible to resist.

Kaitlin Butts appears as Langley’s friend and delivers the sharpest line in the video: “Texas has a way of keeping what’s hers.”In the closing frames, a heartbroken Langley hitches a ride back to Tennessee with Miranda Lambert, playing the bar’s frontwoman.

The story tracks the song’s lyrics beat for beat and lifts the video well above standard country promo territory.

Every Cameo, Explained

Luke Grimes

The Yellowstone and Marshals star plays Langley’s love interest. Grimes is also developing his own country music project, with a debut album titled Red Bird in the works.

He’s from Ohio, not Texas but his character’s inability to quit the Lone Star State is the whole point of the video.

Miranda Lambert

Lambert co-wrote “Choosin’ Texas” with Langley, Luke Dick, and Joybeth Taylor. She also co-produced the Dandelion album alongside Ben West.

In the video she appears onstage as the bar’s frontwoman a seasoned musician who already knows how the story ends.

Ava Phillippe

Reese Witherspoon and Ryan Phillippe’s daughter plays the Texas ex who pulls Grimes’ character back. Her casting is the video’s biggest Hollywood moment and has driven most of the social media conversation since premiere.

Kaitlin Butts

Langley’s touring partner and Dandelion Tour opener Kaitlin Butts leans into a villain arc warning Langley’s character what Texas is about to do to her.

Butts said on social media afterward: “Ella made me bully her in the video and I DID NOT LIKE IT… it is seriously the coolest thing that’s ever happened to me.”

Texas Country Artists

Wade Bowen, Casey Donahew, Mike Ryan, and Tanner Usrey appear as bar patrons. Melinda Donahew Casey’s wife plays the bartender. Langley’s team deliberately chose Texas talent over Nashville names to preserve the song’s geographic authenticity.

Rodeo Champions

Shad Mayfield and Tyson Durfey are world champion calf ropers. JB Mauney is a PBR world champion and NFR bullrider.

Dale Brisby, known for his bull-riding comedy persona, also appears. Shea Fisher Durfey Tyson’s Australian-born wife who relocated to Texas for a country music career completes the rodeo cast.

Texas A&M Aggie Wranglers

Members of the university’s precision dance organization fill the two-stepping crowd, adding a layer of collegiate Texas culture to the honky-tonk setting.

Brand Integrations

Jack Daniel’s, Shiner Bock, and Tecovas appear throughout placed with enough restraint that they read as set dressing, not advertising.

Easter Eggs Hidden in the Video

Langley planted at least two deliberate hints at future music.

A Tennessee license plate reading “ICLYA” flashes on screen. Most observers believe it stands for “I Can’t Love You Anymore” a likely future song title.

The video’s final moments also preview an unreleased track. Langley sings: “And I think we both know it’s last call for us. Last call for us.”

A YouTube page titled “Last Call for Us” appeared shortly after the premiere currently blank, but clearly positioned as a placeholder for what comes next. Fans tracking the full Dandelion album arc will find these details suggest Langley’s creative rollout extends well past the April 10 release date.

The Chart Record the Video Is Celebrating

“Choosin’ Texas” is the first song by a woman to simultaneously top the Billboard Hot 100, Hot Country Songs, and Country Airplay charts, according to Billboard.

Four weeks at No. 1 on the Hot 100 broke Taylor Swift’s previous record for the longest-running chart-topper by a female country artist achieving that crossover double.

The track is the lead single from Dandelion, Langley’s 18-track sophomore album, out April 10 on SAWGOD/Columbia Records.

Dandelion Listening Party Stagecoach Ballroom, April 10

The Stagecoach Ballroom is hosting an official Dandelion listening party on the night the album drops April 10 which also marks the venue’s 50th anniversary.

6:00 PM — Doors open

6:30–7:30 PM — Line dance lessons

8:00 PM — Dandelion listening party begins

The “Choosin’ Texas” video plays on loop throughout the night. Chief Records will sell physical albums on site. Exclusive merchandise and live country cover music are also part of the lineup. Fans planning to see Langley live can find Ella Langley concert tickets for The Dandelion Tour, which opens May 7 in Toledo, Ohio, and wraps August 15 in Fort Worth.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who stars in Ella Langley’s “Choosin’ Texas” music video?

Luke Grimes plays her love interest, Ava Phillippe plays his Texas ex, Miranda Lambert appears as the bar’s frontwoman, and Kaitlin Butts plays Langley’s friend who warns her about Texas.

Where was the “Choosin’ Texas” video filmed?

The Stagecoach Ballroom in Fort Worth, Texas a dance hall operating since 1961. The Fort Worth Stockyards also appear in the backdrop.

Who directed the “Choosin’ Texas” music video?

Ella Langley co-directed it alongside Wales Toney and Caylee Robillard. Lukas Lennon produced, with support from the Fort Worth Film Commission.

How many views did the video get in 24 hours?

1.5 million YouTube views in the first 24 hours, landing at No. 2 on the platform’s trending music video chart. It is approaching 5 million total views.

Are there Easter eggs in the “Choosin’ Texas” video?

Yes a license plate reading “ICLYA” teases a possible future song, and the closing moments preview an unreleased track called “Last Call for Us,” with a blank YouTube page already live under that title.