From ABC7 Los Angeles · · 1m 40s
Ella Langley's 'Choosin' Texas' Tops Billboard 23 Weeks
Ella Langley's 'Choosin' Texas' becomes U.S. longest-running No. 1 hit after 23 weeks on Billboard Hot 100.
In brief
Ella Langley's 'Choosin' Texas' becomes U.S. longest-running No. 1 hit after 23 weeks on Billboard Hot 100. Ella Langley's 'Choosin' Texas' spent 23 weeks at No. 1 on Billboard Hot 100, surpassing Mariah Carey's 'All I Want For Christmas Is You' record. Originally reported by ABC7 Los Angeles.
Record-Breaking No. 1
Ella Langley's 'Choosin' Texas' is the longest-running No. 1 hit in U.S. history with 23 weeks on Billboard Hot 100.
“Ella Langley's 'Choosin' Texas' is officially the longest-running No. 1 single in the U.S., spending 23 weeks at the top spot on the Billboard Hot 100”
2026's Biggest Hit
The song is indisputably 2026's biggest hit, released last October as a midtempo country-and-then-some heartbreak song.
“NEW YORK, Ella Langley's "Choosin' Texas," a simmering, midtempo, country-and-then-some heartbreak song released last October, is indisputably 2026's biggest hit”
Surpassing Records
It surpassed Mariah Carey's 'All I Want For Christmas Is You' record of 22 weeks at No. 1.
“That means the track has surpassed various records set by Shaboozey's "A Bar Song (Tipsy)," Lil Nas X's "Old Town Road," Whitney Houston's "I Will Always Love You" and most impressively, Mariah Carey's "All I Want For Christmas Is You." Her holiday classic held the previous record, with 22 weeks at No. 1”
Streaming Success
Luminate reported 911 million U.S. on-demand streams and 1.26 billion global streams as of mid-August.
“Luminate, the industry data and analytics company, found that "Choosin' Texas" brought in 911 million on-demand streams in the U.S. and 1.26 billion globally as of mid-August”
Rapid Rise
Langley started 2023 with under 1 million Spotify monthly listeners and now has over 32 million.
“Considering that Langley started 2023, around the time she made her Grand Ole Opry debut, with under 1 million monthly listeners on Spotify - and now boasts of over 32 million - her rise has been meteoric”
Streaming-Forward Audience
Spotify's senior editor Claire Heinichen says the song moved from country playlists to global playlists like 'Today's Top Hits'.
“Claire Heinichen, a senior editor at Spotify, says the song's growth has been both explosive and consistent. "Choosin' Texas" "started big," she says, moving from the platform's leading country playlist, 'Hot Country,' to its larger, generic offerings because it works across audiences”
Cross-Genre Appeal
The song's cross-genre sound includes disco grooves and soul influences, appealing to diverse audiences.
“It's a little more rock or even kind of soul-inflected," Sloan says. "Part of the reason songs like "Choosin' Texas" are able to resonate with such a wide audience is because, musically, they're bringing in a lot of diverse influences"”
Musical Analysis
Musicologist Nate Sloan describes the song as having a 'trance' quality with long phrases that lull listeners into its rhythm.
“It's "like syrup," says Nate Sloan, a musicologist, assistant professor at the University of Southern California and co-host of the podcast "Switched On Pop." She sings in long phrases that lull the listener into the song's rhythm, from its opening guitar line to its coda”
Lyrics and Themes
The song details a woman losing her lover to another woman, with themes of resignation and drinking alone.
“It's straightforward: She's losing her lover to someone else. She's not going to fight for him - it's a song of resignation that ends with her drinking alone as he chooses Texas (another woman) over her (and Tennessee)”
Cultural Impact
The song's success shows country music's shift toward streaming and cross-genre appeal in 2026.
“It doesn't feel like a centerpiece of a monoculture, but it is absolutely a key part of like radio culture, streaming playlists, TikTok”
Future Prospects
Langley's previous work with Riley Green shows she is not a one-hit wonder, with potential for long-term success.
“Her award-winning 2024 collaboration with Riley Green, "You Look Like You Love Me" is evidence of that”
The big picture
Ella Langley's 'Choosin' Texas' spent 23 weeks at No. 1 on Billboard Hot 100, surpassing Mariah Carey's 'All I Want For Christmas Is You' record.
