Ella Langley's 'Choosin Texas' ties Mariah Carey for longest running No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100

It's official - Ella Langley's worldwide hit 'Choosin Texas' has just tied Mariah Carey's festive 'All I Want For Christmas' for longest running No. 1 song in Billboard Hot 100 history.

The chart-topping lead single off of Langley's 2026 second studio Dandelion album has held its spot for a consecutive 22 weeks. Debuting at No. 39 on the chart back in November 2025, and then hitting No. 1 in early February 2026, the song marked Langley's first number one in her career.

It wasn't until the song hit around its 14th consecutive week that it started to turn heads outside of the country realm, though, as Langley became mentionable next to names like Whitney Houston and Mariah Carey for tying Houston's hit 1992 Dolly Parton cover of 'I Will Always Love You' and Mariah Carey's 2005 hit 'We Belong Together.'

So, how did we get here, anyway?

'Choosin Texas,' for the masses, holds the very essence of a No. 1 hit. For country music fans, it possesses the coveted trait of good old-fashioned storytelling. The song got its fame through streams as well as massive radio play across the U.S. - and while it does appeal to the affections of the storyteller in us all, with lyrics so painted we can practically see the world Langley sings about in our heads, the song that officially put Langley on the map hits all the right marks a country song needs to have cross-genre outreach. 'Choosin Texas' has become an earworm for non-country and country fans alike because of its genuine catchiness and ability to be played over and over again.

While giving a regular shpeel over the rarity of a number one hit for a country artist is tempting, this writer isn't quite sure how much longer the genre can keep playing the card of the underdog. With so many great country artists trailblazing the field this year, Langley is just another one that has played the game well and good in the sense of putting country on the map as one of the world's biggest genres. While the future of the genre is bright, we don't know how stars like Langley will continue to bring it to new heights just yet, but we do have an idea of what the rest of her year will look like.

The 'Low Lights' songstress currently holds nine nominations at the 2026 CMA Awards, with three of those nods being for her No. 1 hit. The Alabama native herself continues to push into steady competition with her country music colleagues, as these nominations tie Langley with stars like Miranda Lambert and Lainey Wilson for most nominations for a female artist in a year.

Langley's tie with icon Mariah Carey isn't the first record-breaking accomplishment and certainly not the last for the 'Loving Life Again' crooner. In the spirit of predicting the near future, in a week's time, we will more likely than not see 'Choosin Texas' become the longest running No. 1 song in Billboard history - and at the CMAs, watch the single get the well-deserved recognition for the race it has ran over the past year.