How Country Singer Ella Langley’s ‘Choosin’ Texas’ Made History

NEW YORK — Ella Langley’s “Choosin’ Texas,” a slow-burning country heartbreak track released last October, has emerged as 2026’s defining hit.

The song has also become the longest-running No. 1 hit in U.S. history, Billboard announced Tuesday after “Choosin’ Texas” logged its 23rd week atop the all-genre Hot 100.

In doing so, Langley’s track moved past milestones 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 notably, Mariah Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas Is You.” Carey’s holiday favorite previously held the record with 22 weeks at No. 1.

KEEP READING: Trump-Appointed Judge’s First Amendment Ruling on Capitol Demonstrator Access Warns Against Trump’s Proposed White House Media Ban

Its relaxed tempo, genre-blending production and familiar story of romantic loss help explain the song’s reach. Still, its extended reign at the top has surprised even many industry observers.

Here’s how big “Choosin’ Texas” has become
Luminate, the music industry’s data and analytics firm, estimates that “Choosin’ Texas” had generated 911 million on-demand streams in the United States and 1.26 billion worldwide by mid-August. Langley’s rise has been remarkably fast: Around the time of her 2023 Grand Ole Opry debut, she had fewer than 1 million monthly Spotify listeners. Today, that figure has climbed past 32 million.