Ella Langley turned a seven-year-old girl’s very first concert into a memory that will last a lifetime when she invited young superfan Cecilia onstage to sing “You Look Like You Love Me” alongside her duet partner, Riley Green.
The magical moment began weeks earlier when Cecilia’s mom, Ally Maxwell, shared a TikTok of her daughter passionately belting out the fan-favorite song at home. According to Ally, the duet is constantly “on repeat” in their house, and Cecilia knows every word by heart. The video quickly took off online — and even caught Langley’s eye. She commented that she was “obsessed” with the young singer.
With Cecilia’s birthday approaching, Ally hoped for nothing more than a simple shoutout. What she received instead was far more special. Thanks to Langley’s team, Cecilia was invited to celebrate her birthday at Riley Green’s stop at Marshall Health Network Arena in Huntington, West Virginia, where Langley was opening the show.
The night started with a surprise backstage meet-and-greet, a secret Ally worked hard to keep from her daughter.
“If you’ve ever been around little kids, you know you can’t tell them something exciting too early,” Ally explained. “They’ll explode with anticipation. I also honestly didn’t think it was really going to happen — I thought I was being punked. So I kept it quiet. Only a few people knew.”
In a video capturing the evening, Cecilia is seen running straight into Langley’s arms backstage, a moment as emotional as it was joyful. But the surprises weren’t over. Langley soon asked the question that changed everything: “Would you like to come onstage and sing this song with me?”
“It was a complete surprise for all of us,” Ally said.
After enjoying the show from the front row, Cecilia’s big moment finally arrived. In a video shared on Langley’s Instagram, the young fan stands confidently between Langley and Green, singing every word and soaking in the cheers of the crowd as if she’d been performing her whole life.
The performance held extra meaning for Langley and Green, too — it marked the one-year anniversary of “You Look Like You Love Me.”
As for nerves, Cecilia had none.
“Not even a little bit,” her mom laughed. “After Ella’s set, she kept asking, ‘When is Riley Green going to get off the stage so I can sing?’ She was more than ready. She loves being the center of attention and puts on concerts at home all the time, so this was right up her alley.”
The concert was part of Ally’s decision to give her daughter experiences rather than material gifts — a choice that turned into what she calls the perfect birthday celebration.
“It was a smaller venue, and I was lucky enough to get close tickets,” Ally said. “Never in a million years did I imagine we’d end up with pit passes from Ella, Riley, and their team. It became something truly unforgettable.”
Looking back, Ally calls the night a “dream come true” that will be nearly impossible to top. While Cecilia is now a devoted Ella Langley fan, she hasn’t quite warmed up to Riley Green just yet.
“My four nieces were there too, and all of them were losing it over how close she got to him,” Ally joked. “Cecilia’s review? ‘He was stinky and sweaty.’ I’m pretty sure out of the 7,500 people there, she was the only girl who thought that.”
The day after the show, Ally sent a heartfelt message of thanks to Langley and her team for making her daughter’s seventh birthday so special.
“Ella is the real deal,” she said. “She and her crew are genuine, kind, and down-to-earth. You could see it in how she treated my daughter — and all of us. Watching her cheer Cecilia on from the stage meant everything. We’ll absolutely be back to see her again.”