Half a year and counting.
As we near the end of the year, it’s becoming increasingly clear that 2026 will go down as the year of Ella Langley. Simply put, it’s hard to argue that she’s not just the hottest star in country music, but in music as a whole.
If you’ve been paying close attention within the genre over the years, it was more than apparent that the Alabama native was bound to be a star, catching early buzz with tracks like “Country Boy’s Dream Girl,” “paint the town blue” and “That’s Why We Fight” with Koe Wetzel. With that being said, however, I don’t think anyone could have predicted the world-dominating, record-smashing success she’s had recently.
Launching off the success of her Riley Green collaboration, “you look like you love me” throughout 2024 and 2025, as well as other hits such as “weren’t for the wind,” the Alabama native has become nothing short of a phenomenon thanks to the megahit that is “Choosin’ Texas,” And, in turn, she has captured the hearts of nearly everyone in the country and the world over the past year.
Since its release on October 17th, it is now the longest-running #1 hit by a female artist this century, the only country song by a woman to triple up and go #1 on Billboard’s Hot 100, Hot Country and Country Airplay charts simultaneously. In case that wasn’t enough, thanks to the success of her sophomore album, Dandelion, which debuted at #1 on the all-genre Billboard 200 and sold 169,000 equivalent album units in the U.S. in its first week, Langley became just the second woman in history to hold the #1 album and song in the U.S. simultaneously with a country song/album.
In September, she made U.S. history by officially capturing the longest-running #1 hit in U.S. history with 23 weeks, passing Mariah Carey’s long-standing record of 22 atop the all-genre Billboard Hot 100.
Throughout October, however, Langley and “Choosin’ Texas” have been noticeably absent from the top of the chart. Of course, this is due to Taylor Swift doing what she does best and dropping a four-song deluxe edition to her record-breaking 2025 album, The Life of a Showgirl. In typical Swift fashion, she released a piano and acoustic version of the deluxe album’s lead single, “Patient Zero,” also selling limited edition CD versions for a 24-hour timeframe. This allowed the former country star to score a three-week #1 with the aforementioned single.
As she’s been doing seemingly all year, however, Langley would return to #1 last week, and she’s back once again today.
This afternoon, Langley and “Choosin’ Texas” remained at the top of the Hot 100 and extended its record-setting 26th week at #1, garnering 19.2 million official streams, 57.8 million airplays on radio and 3,000 units sold.
Notably, “Choosin’ Texas” is now the first song in history to remain at #1 on the Hot 100 for over half a calendar year (26 weeks), dominating the chart throughout 2026 and allowing only nine other songs, including the likes of Swift’s “Patient Zero” and “I Knew It, I Knew You,” Drake’s “Janice STFU” and Bad Bunny’s “DtMF,” to top the chart so far this year.
Additionally, “Choosin’ Texas” extends its lead for the second-longest #1 hit on Hot Country Songs (47 weeks) and longest-running #1 on Digital Song Sales (20 Weeks). With 47 weeks and counting on Hot Country Songs, Langley only needs to remain at #1 on the chart for four more weeks to break Florida Georgia Line and Bebe Rexha’s record of 50 with “Meant To Be.”
Finally, Langley extends her lead and has now charted the record-shattering hit in nine unique months, ruling at some point from February to November (with the only break coming in June). This furthers the gap between Wallen’s “Last Night” (six months), Harry Styles’ “As It Was” (six months) and Shaboozey’s “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” (five months).
Longest-Running Billboard Hot 100 #1 Hits
1. “Choosin’ Texas” – Ella Langley (25 weeks)
2. “All I Want for Christmas Is You” – Mariah Carey (22 weeks)
T3. “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” – Shaboozey (19 weeks)
T3. “Old Town Road” – Lil Nas X feat. Billy Ray Cyrus (19 weeks)
4. “Last Night” – Morgan Wallen (16 weeks)
5. “Despacito” – Luis Fonsi & Daddy Yankee feat. Justin Bieber (16 weeks)
6. “One Sweet Day” – Mariah Carey & Boyz II Men (16 weeks)
7. “As It Was” – Harry Styles (15 weeks)
“Choosin’ Texas”