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Ella Langley's name now sits alongside some of the biggest names in US pop. Instagram
Ella Langley
Saddle up! Choosin' Texas is the instant country classic that's breaking chart records in the US
Country star Ella Langley has surpassed records set by Mariah Carey and Whitney Houston.
THERE’S A NEW sheriff in town and she’s now a record 15 weeks on top of Billboard’s Top 100 singles charts in the US.
Choosin’ Texas by Ella Langley has brought the country single not only into the mainstream but now alongside some of the biggest names in US music.
The 15-week milestone is a significant one for the 27-year-old singer because it means she’s surpassed records set by Whitney Houston’s I Will Always Love You and Mariah Carey’s We Belong Together.
These classics spent 14 weeks topping the charts and until now held the record for non-holiday singles by a solo female artist.
Only Mariah Carey’s All I Want for Christmas Is You (22 weeks) is ahead of Langley’s record if you include seasonal songs.
Why the success?
Well, Choosin’ Texas is described as an “instant country heartbreak classic’’ by leading country songwriter Ashley Gorley.
Its impact is heightened by what has been described as Langley’s “authentic performance” style.
Written by Langley and fellow country singer Miranda Lambert, the song follows a simple premise about losing a partner when they return to their home state.
Asked why the record was such a hit, Langley told Billboard, “I don’t know. I really don’t”, but she suggested that the song had a nostalgic feel.
“I tried to add some groove into this record, big singing choruses and big melodic guitar licks that you can remember. I don’t know if it feels nostalgic or sounds like something they hadn’t heard before”, she told the magazine.
Raised in Alabama, Langley began performing locally before moving to Tennessee in 2019 to pursue music full-time.
She signed a record deal with Sony Music Nashville and Columbia Records in 2023 after debuting at The Grand Ole Opry, a historic country music venue in Nashville.
Langley first gained widespread recognition with her debut album Hungover in 2024, which featured fellow country star Riley Green.
The duet between Langley and Green, You Look Like You Love Me gained over 250 million streams worldwide.
Choosin’ Texas is the lead single on Langley’s latest album Dandelion which mixes country with moments of folk and pop.
Speaking to People Magazine on the album’s release, Langley described the songs as return to her southern roots.
“I wanted them to come back and learn a little bit about where I’m from”, she said
A record-breaking era for country music
Langley is not the only female country star surging to the top of the charts.
Women have occupied all the top five spots on the Hot Country Songs chart for a record-breaking seventh consecutive week.
Taylor Swift’s I Knew It, I Knew You holds the No. 2 spot, and Stella Lefty’s Boston ranks at No. 3.
Women have occupied these chart positions previously but never for this long a span.
It also extends beyond the country chart as four of the top songs are the most streamed songs in the US across all genres.
Billboard reported that the growing popularity of country can be attributed to the dominance of on-demand audio streaming.
This accounts for 90% of the genres’ consumption, and allows for the songs to not be restricted to a radio schedule, which was the traditional outlet for the genre.
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