After more than a decade of conquering the country charts with three #1 hits, a Platinum-certified single, and tours around the globe, Lindsay Ell is ready to rewrite her story. Today, the award-winning artist releases “good guy”, a shimmering pop anthem that marks the boldest step yet in her evolution — and the lead into her most honest project to date, the upcoming EP fence sitter.
“‘good guy’ is about honest vulnerability and taking your power back,” Ell tells Celeb Secrets host Juliet Schroder exclusively during a virtual interview. “Some songs break you open, but this one was written to build you back up and it goes out to anyone who never got the chance to tell their side of the story after a break-up.”
With soaring vocals, her signature Fender riffs, and bass-heavy synths driving the track, Ell unpacks betrayal and deception with sharp lyrical precision. “What’s worse than keeping quiet, is keeping up the lie, so everyone around you still believes that, you’re a good guy,” she sings, proving she’s unafraid to tell her truth out loud.
For Ell, “good guy” isn’t just a single — it’s a declaration. After years of fitting into country radio’s expectations, she’s finally creating from a place of freedom. “About ten years into my career, I felt like I was making music just to get number ones on country radio, and art had turned into a business,” she explains. “I had to take a step back and figure out how to make music that felt true again — music that I was really aligned with. And this shift has been the best thing ever. I feel alive again.”
That rebirth began earlier this summer with the release of “magic.” A sparkling, resilient anthem, the track quickly became a fan favorite — with audiences already shouting back the lyrics at Ell’s pop-up shows. “Everybody in that room knew every single word to ‘Magic,’ and it still makes the hair on the back of my neck stand up,” Ell remembers. “It inspires me so much to create art that I care so deeply about and then see it resonate with people.”
Ell describes “magic” as a reminder to believe in yourself even when the path gets tough. “It’s about finding the magic in the pursuit, not just the end result. Instead of waiting for the big shiny award, it’s about the little things — a great cup of coffee, a walk, meeting someone new. Those small moments add up to something far greater,” she shares. “Even when I feel like I’m at the end of my patience, I still believe. I know this is what I was meant to do.”
Both “Magic” and “good guy” set the stage for Ell’s forthcoming EP fence sitter, arriving October 3. The project dives deeper than anything she’s released before, with themes ranging from resilience to questioning motherhood. Its title track, she reveals, was inspired by her own inner debate about whether she wants to become a parent.
“I honestly am 50/50 — I’m on the fence,” Ell admits. “As women, we have this biological clock, and that question gets louder in your 30s, especially when all your friends are getting married and having babies. I wanted to write my heart into this topic, because I know I’m not the only one. I hope anyone who listens to ‘fence sitter’ feels less alone in that indecision.”
The EP also represents Ell’s refusal to box herself into one genre. “A part of country songwriting will always be a part of me, but stylistically I need to make music that inspires me,” she says. “When I sit in the studio now, I feel like a kid in a playground again. And I’ve stopped trying to fit into what I’m not — I’m just trying to be me, and I know the music will find its way.”
That honesty is tied to what she calls her “confidence era.” But for Ell, confidence isn’t about being unshakable — it’s about embracing both strength and vulnerability. “When I was younger, I thought confidence would feel like Wonder Woman, unbreakable. But the truth is, I cry easier now, I feel things deeper — and that’s given me a stronger sense of confidence than ever,” she reflects. “Confidence without vulnerability is pretty empty. This balance is what makes me feel alive.”
As she continues to balance touring with her own shows and even playing guitar for Shania Twain, Ell is more certain than ever that this new chapter is exactly where she’s meant to be. “I remember sitting on my bed as a little girl dreaming of being out on the road, traveling the world, playing my music,” she says. “The fact that I get to do that and call it my job? I’m very, very grateful.”
With “good guy” out now and fence sitter arriving this fall, Lindsay Ell is reminding us that reinvention isn’t about abandoning where you came from — it’s about becoming who you were always meant to be.
“I’m in my confident era, and it feels so good,” she smiles. “This music is me — honest, vulnerable, and real. And I cannot wait for the world to hear it.”
For more on Lindsay’s music, make sure to watch our full interview below, and don’t forget to let us know what you think of “good guy” by either leaving a reaction at the bottom of the post or by sliding into our DMs on Instagram at @celebsecrets.
