Ella Langley has been on a meteoric rise since the beginning of 2024, which has inspired numerous artists like Bebe Stockwell to put their own twist on some of the biggest songs in country music. The Los Angeles-based vocalist stopped me dead in my tracks with her recent cover of ‘Choosin’ Texas.’
I legitimately thought she was lip-syncing!
If you are not already familiar with Stockwell, it is my pleasure to put you onto her music. This is certainly an unorthodox way of doing so but she (I assume) and I are glad you are here.
Who is Bebe Stockwell?
Bebe Stockwell was born and raised in Boston, Massachussetts. She started playing piano and guitar at the age of six and started writing her songs not too long thereafter. Her love of music led her to study at the Berklee College of Music and later NYU.
Stockwell released her debut single ‘Love Me Back’ while still a student in the Big Apple. If you are at all a fan of modern folk music, you’ve probably heard it.
I actually find her voice to be more endearing without all of the vocal mix.
‘Love Me Back’ put Stockwell on the map, which led to performances at major music festivals like Bonaroo, Austin City Limits, Newport Folk Festival and Boston Calling. It also got her a record deal with Columbia Records. She dropped her debut EP in 2025.
I don’t really know how to describe Bebe Stockwell’s sound but if you are still reading, you’ve probably heard it for yourself. Go listen if you haven’t. Her most singular genre is “indie folk” but there is a hint of bluegrass, a dash of pop, elements of Americana, a subtle country influence and a lot of storytelling.
She’s awesome. And yes— she is a she and always has been a she. (This will make more sense later on, I promise!)
Choosin’ Texas is hauntingly beautiful in a deeper octave.
A large part of Stockwell’s rise to niche and growing popularity can be attributed to social media. I am pretty sure I found her through Instagram about a year ago.
She also has more than 250,000 followers on TikTok. One of her most recent videos blew my mind.
Bebe Stockwell sang a cover of Ella Langley’s chart-topping single ‘Choosin’ Texas’ in her deepest singing voice. I legitimately thought it was a lip dub during my first watch.
It is in fact not a lip-sync. Her regular singing voice tickles my eardrums. Her deep singing voice scratches an itch in my brain that I didn’t know was there. I get a hint of Etta James, if you will.
The comment section on her Ella Langley video (which has been viewed more than a half million times) was equally as confused by the alto version of ‘Choosin’ Texas’ as delighted. They, like me, thought perhaps it was a spoof. Someone named Ron even said she sounded like his cousin’s friend named Eddie.
Although Bebe Stockwell is not actually a man named Eddie, it is indeed her voice. And it’s wonderful.