Sep 23, 2026 7:12pm IST

Inside Ella Langley’s ‘Choosin’ Texas’ Rampage: The Latest Country Music Wonder Ruling Global Charts

Ayushi Agrawal

"Choosin' Texas" has officially become the longest-running No. 1 hit in Billboard Hot 100 history. It has been topping the chart for a total of 23 weeks, with Ella Langley thereby breaking Mariah Carey's record of peaking on the chart for 22 weeks. The popularity of the track is yet to die down, making it more apparent that the run is likely to continue for longer. 

Going behind the singer who made this possible, Ella Langley is an American singer-songwriter who marked her return with a second studio album, “Dandelion,” on April 10. It was preceded by two singles, "Choosin' Texas" and "Be Her" and followed by one, "Loving Life Again", with "I Can't Love You Anymore" being a part of the reissue version. 

Langley also became the first female artist to simultaneously top America's Hot 100, Hot Country Songs, and Country Airplay charts with the song. 

Formative years

An alum of Alabama, where she was born and raised, Langley’s introduction to music is said to have been kickstarted by the gift given to her by her father- a guitar that belonged to her grandfather. Despite quitting piano classes in her childhood, she would sing hymns at the Southern Baptist church. The songstress previously spoke about singing to her family’s cows before making it big and living out as a state champion dancer. A student at Auburn University, she dropped out of its forestry program to pursue music full time. 

The history of ‘Choosin' Texas’ and a kangaroo connection

Born out of a writer's retreat with Miranda Lambert, Langley chatted about the former having a kangaroo pet and the phrase "Well, she's from Texas, I can tell," sprang from their conversation and stuck in her mind. The two were able to write the now uber-famous track in the next 45 minutes. The music video for the song included Ava Phillippe and Caitlyn Smith, while Ella calls herself "the bathroom bitch."

Music achievements

The 27-year-old’s debut studio album called “Hungover” was released in 2024. It gave rise to the popularity of "You Look Like You Love Me" (with Riley Green) and "Weren't for the Wind," which became her breakout songs. A couple of years later, after facing a slight delay in the making of her sophomore release, “Dandelion”, she released the album to widespread anticipation. The virality of “Choosin’ Texas” stemmed from TikTok making it debut on the Hot 100 chart at No. 39.

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