Ella Langley’s “Choosin’ Texas” has become one of the biggest songs in Billboard Hot 100 history — and it may not be finished yet.

The country star’s breakout hit has now spent an extraordinary 18 weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, putting it just one week away from equalling the longest reign ever achieved by a non-holiday song.

If “Choosin’ Texas” can hold onto the top spot for another week, Langley will join Lil Nas X and Shaboozey in an extremely exclusive club.

How long has “Choosin’ Texas” been No. 1?

“Choosin’ Texas” has now spent 18 weeks at the top of the Billboard Hot 100.

Only two non-holiday songs have managed 19 weeks at No. 1:

• Lil Nas X featuring Billy Ray Cyrus – “Old Town Road”
• Shaboozey – “A Bar Song (Tipsy)”

That means Ella Langley is just one week away from tying the all-time non-holiday record.

Mariah Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas Is You” has accumulated more weeks at No. 1 overall, but its total has been built across repeated Christmas seasons rather than a conventional single chart run.

Even without another week at the top, “Choosin’ Texas” has already secured its place among the most successful singles in Hot 100 history.

Ella Langley has already broken a major record

Langley has already moved past some enormous names.

“Choosin’ Texas” is now the longest-running non-holiday Hot 100 No. 1 by a solo female artist.

Earlier in its run, the track overtook the 14-week records achieved by Whitney Houston’s “I Will Always Love You” and Mariah Carey’s “We Belong Together.”

For an artist who was still considered one of country music’s emerging stars only a few years ago, it represents a remarkable rise.

And this is no longer simply a big country record.

It is one of the biggest songs in America, regardless of genre.

Why is “Choosin’ Texas” so popular?

Part of the appeal of “Choosin’ Texas” is that it doesn’t sound engineered to be a giant crossover pop hit.

The song leans heavily into traditional country storytelling, with a relaxed, retro sound influenced by country music of the late 1970s and 1980s.

Its lyrics tell the story of someone realising that the person they love ultimately belongs somewhere — and perhaps with someone — else.

It is simple, memorable and immediately recognisable.

The track was co-written by Ella Langley alongside Miranda Lambert, Luke Dick and Joybeth Taylor, with Lambert also contributing backing vocals.

Rather than moving towards conventional pop production to reach a bigger audience, “Choosin’ Texas” appears to have done almost the opposite.

It has taken an unmistakably country song into the centre of mainstream music.

Streaming has helped turn country into mainstream pop

The success of “Choosin’ Texas” is also part of something much bigger happening in music.

Country is becoming one of the dominant genres on streaming platforms.

For decades, country music had an enormous American audience, but there was often a separation between the country charts and mainstream pop charts.

Streaming has increasingly removed that barrier.

In August 2026, country songs even occupied all five of the top five positions on the Billboard Hot 100 for the first time in the chart’s history.

Artists including Morgan Wallen, Shaboozey and Ella Langley are increasingly competing directly with the biggest pop, hip-hop and R&B artists in the world.

“Choosin’ Texas” might be the clearest example yet.

The track has been generating tens of millions of US streams each week while simultaneously performing strongly on radio and digital sales.

That combination has made it incredibly difficult to dislodge from No. 1.

Who is Ella Langley?

Ella Langley is an American country singer-songwriter who has rapidly developed into one of the genre’s biggest new stars.

Her breakthrough accelerated following the success of “You Look Like You Love Me” with Riley Green before “Choosin’ Texas” pushed her into another level of mainstream recognition.

The track appears on Langley’s album “Dandelion” and has helped establish her far beyond the traditional country audience.

She has also continued releasing music while “Choosin’ Texas” dominates the charts, rather than simply relying on the success of a single track.

Langley now has multiple songs competing towards the top of the Hot 100, suggesting her success may extend well beyond one viral hit.

Could “Choosin’ Texas” break the Billboard record?

That is now the big question.

Another week at No. 1 would take “Choosin’ Texas” to 19 weeks.

That would equal the non-holiday record currently held by “Old Town Road” and “A Bar Song (Tipsy).”

A 20th week would give Ella Langley the record outright.

Considering the song is still attracting huge streaming numbers months into its run, that possibility no longer looks unrealistic.

Even reaching 18 weeks is extraordinary.

Songs rarely remain culturally relevant for this long in the streaming era, where listeners have access to effectively unlimited new music every week.

Yet “Choosin’ Texas” keeps going.

“Choosin’ Texas” could become one of the defining songs of 2026

Whatever happens next, Ella Langley has already produced one of the defining hits of 2026.

What started as a country track has grown into a mainstream phenomenon, broken Billboard records and helped underline just how powerful country music has become within modern streaming culture.

Now there is one milestone left immediately ahead.

19 weeks.

If Ella Langley manages it, “Choosin’ Texas” will officially match the longest-running non-holiday No. 1 single in Billboard Hot 100 history.

And if listeners keep choosing “Choosin’ Texas” for just a little longer, she could soon have the record entirely to herself.