Ella Langley and Riley Green gave fans an unforgettable moment at the 2024 CMA Awards—not only did they perform their steamy duet “You Look Like You Love Me,” but they also walked away with the trophy for Musical Event of the Year.
The chemistry between the two was undeniable as they brought their hit song to life on stage. Ella started the performance right from the audience, wearing a stunning sheer black outfit with feather details. Seated in front of Parker McCollum and his wife Hallie Ray Light, she stood and began singing the opening lines while making her way toward the stage. She even gave a playful nod to the lyrics by tipping Michael Trotter Jr.’s cowboy hat as she passed him—talk about stage presence!
When she reached the performance setup—a bar scene complete with stools and beer bottles—Riley Green entered from the crowd, dressed in classic country style with jeans, a crisp white shirt, black suede jacket, and his signature cowboy hat. He strummed his acoustic guitar as he joined Ella on the verse, and soon, they were side by side, locking into rich harmonies that had the crowd hooked.
Their voices blended seamlessly on the chorus:
“Excuse me / You look like you love me / You look like you want me / To want you to come on home…”
Written by Ella Langley, Riley Green, and Aaron Raitiere, “You Look Like You Love Me” is featured on Langley’s debut album Hungover and has quickly become her most-streamed song to date.
Before the awards show, Green shared his thoughts on the song’s rise with the Country Music Association.
“I’ve been a fan of Ella’s for a long time… I didn’t expect it to be such a big hit, but it’s really taken on a life of its own. Long before radio picked it up, fans were already singing along at shows—it’s been a really special one.”
Ella echoed that sentiment in a recent Entertainment Tonight interview, saying,
“Riley was the perfect fit. We grew up on the same kind of music… I actually wrote this song as a joke, never thinking it would go anywhere. So yeah, it’s been a pretty wild ride. It’s changing my life.”
And the journey’s just getting started—Ella will be joining Riley on the Damn Country Music Tour in 2025, bringing that hit duet to even more fans across the country.
A Star-Studded CMA Night
The 2024 CMA Awards were packed with epic performances and unexpected collaborations. Alongside Langley and Green’s fan-favorite moment, artists like Luke Bryan, Lainey Wilson, Post Malone, Cody Johnson, Ashley McBryde, and Chris Stapleton all took the stage.
Other memorable highlights included Kelsea Ballerini and Noah Kahan’s emotional duet “Cowboys Cry Too,” Post Malone teaming up with Stapleton for “California Sober,” and a heartfelt tribute to Tom Petty by Dierks Bentley, Molly Tuttle, and others.
Brooks & Dunn joined Jelly Roll for a powerhouse performance of “Believe,” and Thomas Rhett and Teddy Swims mashed up their current hits in an unexpected yet crowd-pleasing moment.
The evening was hosted by Luke Bryan, Peyton Manning, and Lainey Wilson and aired live from Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena on November 20. If you missed it, you can still catch all the magic on Hulu starting November 21.
@rfdtv @Ella Langley performs “you look like you love me” live in Nashville, TN #ellalangley #youlooklikeyouloveme #rileygreen #livemusic #nashville #musiccity
