Two budding country stars, one break-up song? Sign me up.
After a momentum-building 2023 for both artists, Kameron Marlowe and Ella Langley have teamed up for a brand-new song, Strangers. This comes just days after Langley was included in CMT’s 2024 class of Next Women in Country.
Marlowe first teased the song’s release back on Jan. 4 with a snippet on Instagram before officially announcing it on Jan. 16.
The pair expressed how happy they were with the project, saying “We couldn’t be any prouder with how this song came out and hope y’all love it as much as we do! Now crank them speakers!!”
Co-written by Marlowe, Langley, Will Bundy, and Chase McGill, Strangers shares an undeniable resemblance to John Mayer’s 2009 deep cut, Friends, Lovers or Nothing. While sonically much different due to Strangers’ undeniable country-blues influences compared to Friends, Lovers or Nothing’s traditional rock sound, the tracks share a similar theme of rejecting the notion that a failed relationship can be remedied by simply being friends.
Marlowe and Langley’s vocals pair incredibly well throughout the song. Once the chorus hits, their vocals truly shine. Marlowe’s powerful entry here is contrasted beautifully by Langley’s soft harmonies underneath him.
“We can’t be friends
We can’t be lovers
We can’t be weekend drinking leaning on each another
We can’t be falling off the wagon
Talking ’bout what happened
Where does that leave you and me?”
The track is ultimately an incredibly melodic one that is bound to get extended radio play. It’s also undeniably country with some fantastic inclusion of fiddle and steel throughout. The walk-up towards the beginning of the chorus hits hard and provides some fantastic build-up to Marlowe’s belting vocals.
In a period where duets seem like the go-to route in order to garner streams and crossover listeners, Strangers feels as authentic and natural as it could possibly be due to the chemistry between Marlowe and Langley on the track.
Marlowe is currently finishing up his I Can Lie tour before kicking off his Strangers tour in April. Upcoming tour dates include the following:
- 1/27 Huntsville, AL
- 2/1 Boise, ID
- 2/2 Salt Lake City, UT
- 2/3 Denver, CO
- 2/4 Wichita, KS
As for Langley, she is currently on the road with Riley Green on his Ain’t My Last Rodeo tour with plans to hit the road with HARDY and Travis Denning on the QUIT!! TOUR this spring.
Listen to it here: