Ella Langley’s ‘Choosin’ Texas’ Spends 17th Week at No. 1, Now Solely Holds Fourth Place Spot Among All-Time Hot 100 Streaks

Ella Langley’s “Choosin’ Texas” has cemented its status as the year’s defining hit, and the only lingering question now revolves around just how deep its chart legacy can go. The track—a deft fusion of country storytelling and mainstream pop appeal—has held the No. 1 spot on the Billboard Hot 100 for 17 consecutive weeks, a feat that places it alone in fourth place on the all-time list for longest-running chart-toppers. Just a week ago, the song was tied with three other legendary records, each of which had managed 16 weeks at the summit: Morgan Wallen’s “Last Night,” Luis Fonsi and Daddy Yankee’s “Despacito,” and Mariah Carey and Boyz II Men’s “One Sweet Day.” By surpassing those iconic tracks, Langley has now set her sights on an even loftier goal—the top three positions in chart history.

To claim the outright all-time record, “Choosin’ Texas” would need to outlast Lil Nas X’s “Old Town Road” and Shaboozey’s “A Bar Song (Tipsy),” both of which reigned for 19 weeks, before challenging Carey’s holiday perennial “All I Want for Christmas,” which still holds the crown with an extraordinary 22 weeks. That kind of ascent once seemed beyond reach, but Langley’s current momentum suggests it’s no longer a far-fetched ambition. The song’s longevity received a fresh jolt this week as it finally cracked the top 10 on Billboard’s pop airplay chart for the first time, with mainstream radio stations—long hesitant to embrace country-leaning sounds—gradually yielding to listener demand. Billboard notes that overall radio play climbed 4% thanks to this newfound pop crossover support, even as official streams dipped slightly to 24.9 million (down 2%) and radio audience impressions rose to 54.5 million (up 4%).

Langley’s reign hasn’t gone uncontested, however. Ariana Grande, whose latest album “Petal” has sparked a chart resurgence, is closing in fast. Grande’s lead single, “Hate That I Made You Love Me,” which debuted at No. 1 back in May, jumped from No. 8 to No. 2 this week, while the album’s title track “Petal” entered at a respectable No. 4. The pop superstar’s return means country acts no longer sweep all five top slots, as they did on last week’s historic chart, but the genre’s influence remains strong. Morgan Wallen’s “Been by Now” slipped one rung to No. 3, Taylor Swift’s “I Knew It, I Knew You” dropped two spots to No. 5, Stella Lefty’s breakout hit “Boston” fell a single position to No. 6, and the Wallen-Langley duet “I Can’t Love You Anymore” slid three slots to No. 7. Langley’s own “Be Her” keeps the country presence alive at No. 10.

For those just discovering Langley, the Alabama-raised singer-songwriter first gained attention with her 2023 debut EP, and she has since emerged as a leading voice in country’s recent crossover wave, pairing traditional narrative lyrics with sleek, contemporary production. Her album “Dandelion,” currently parked at No. 4 on the Billboard 200, has been both a critical and commercial triumph. Her genre-blending approach echoes the path carved by artists like Shaboozey, whose own chart-topping run helped normalize country-pop hybrids for a new generation of listeners. Meanwhile, the top 10 leaves limited room for non-country, non-Grande acts: Tame Impala and Jennie’s “Dracula” holds steady at No. 8 (down two spots), and Olivia Dean’s “So Easy (to Fall in Love)” follows at No. 9 (also down two). Grande, however, does dominate the Billboard 200 with “Petal,” a reminder of her enduring star power. As for Langley’s historic pursuit, even a successful overtake of “All I Want for Christmas” might be fleeting—Carey’s perennial favorite tends to reclaim the crown every December. But at this pace, listeners may well choose Texas over Xmas after all.