The 2024 CMA Awards were packed with unforgettable moments, but one performance that had the entire room buzzing? Ella Langley and Riley Green’s smoldering duet, “You Look Like You Love Me.”
Draped in a sultry, sheer black outfit trimmed with feathers, Langley kicked things off right from her seat in the audience—literally. As the lights dimmed, she rose and started singing the opening lines of the track, locking eyes with fans and fellow stars as she made her way to the stage.
On her way up, she even gave Michael Trotter Jr. of The War and Treaty a playful touch on the cowboy hat during the lyric, “Well, I saw him walk in / With his cowboy hat.”
The scene was set with a bar-themed backdrop complete with stools and beer bottles, turning the CMA stage into a neon-lit honky-tonk. Then, out came Riley Green, rocking his signature cowboy look—jeans, boots, a white shirt under a black suede jacket, and that unmistakable acoustic guitar slung across his shoulder.
As he stepped out from behind Nate Smith, Green took the second verse before joining Langley at the bar-mic to harmonize. The two voices melted together perfectly, delivering the chorus that fans have been playing on repeat:
“Excuse me / You look like you love me / You look like you want me / To want you to come on home…”
The performance earned massive applause—and rightfully so. The song, written by Langley, Green, and Aaron Raitiere, already claimed Musical Event of the Year and has become a fan-favorite from Langley’s debut album, hungover. It’s also one of her most-streamed tracks to date.
Ahead of the show, both artists opened up about how “You Look Like You Love Me” came to be.
“I think Riley’s the perfect person,” Langley told Entertainment Tonight. “We both grew up on the same kind of music… I wrote this song as a joke, thinking it would never go anywhere. So the fact that it’s changing my life? It’s nuts.”
Green echoed that sentiment, telling the CMA that the song’s rise felt totally natural:
“It was just a really popular song with fans—even before it hit the Top 10 or won any awards. Playing it live has been a huge moment for me… hearing the crowd sing it back is wild.”
Their chemistry onstage is undeniable—and fans can look forward to seeing even more of it. Langley is set to join Green on his headlining The Damn Country Music Tour in 2025, where this duet is bound to be a showstopper every night
The 58th Annual CMA Awards delivered one iconic performance after another, featuring jaw-dropping collabs from the likes of Kelsea Ballerini and Noah Kahan, Post Malone and Chris Stapleton, and a touching tribute to Tom Petty from Dierks Bentley, Molly Tuttle, Sierra Hull, and Bronwyn Keith-Hynes.
Other standout moments included a powerhouse mashup from Thomas Rhett and Teddy Swims, and an emotional performance of “Believe” by Brooks & Dunn and Jelly Roll.
The star-studded night was co-hosted by Luke Bryan, Peyton Manning, and Lainey Wilson, and brought together some of country music’s biggest names and brightest new stars for three hours of unforgettable performances.
If you missed it, don’t worry—the full show is streaming now on Hulu, and you’re definitely going to want to rewatch Langley and Green’s electric duet on repeat.
