Ella Langley's "Choosin' Texas" has officially broken the all-time record for most weeks at No. 1 on the all-genre Billboard Hot 100.
The song snagged its 23rd week on top for the chart dated Sept. 26, 2026, surpassing the 22-week record set by Mariah Carey's perennial hit "All I Want for Christmas Is You."
With its grooving shuffle beat and pure-country storyline of love lost, "Choosin' Texas" first debuted on the Hot 100 in November of 2025, then first hit No. 1 in February of 2026. Since then it has had a monumental run, racking up milestones and making Langley the most-nominated artist at the upcoming 2026 CMA Awards. She heads into the Nov. 18 show with nine nominations overall. Her "Choosin' Texas" co-writer Miranda Lambert follows with seven.
Langley addressed the record in a candid video for social media on Sept. 22. Standing in front of a backyard pool wearing a choker necklace, the freshly minted superstar said she could still not believe the song's success.
"I'm genuinely trying to find the words to explain what's going on in my brain today," she said, before thanking fans for changing the lives of so many people, from her to her co-writers and their families.
Langley said the song had created an "atmosphere" where she'll be able to play the song for the rest of her life, and noted she was still expecting someone to come up and say "Ah ha, we're kiddin' the whole time!"
"I'm gonna go out and celebrate tonight and I'm really excited to just experience a moment like this in my life," Langley said.
"Choosin' Texas" wins NSAI song of the year
Langley did go out to celebrate at the 9th annual Nashville Songwriter Awards, produced by the Nashville Songwriters Association International (NSAI) and held at the Ryman Auditorium Sept. 22.
She left the show (hand-in-hand with fellow country artist Tucker Wetmore) with the prize for song of the year for "Choosin' Texas," which she shared with co-writers Luke Dick, Miranda Lambert and Joybeth Taylor. The song was voted for by NSAI members and topped the annual list of "10 songs I wish I'd written."
Other honorees at the event included Riley Green (songwriter-artist of the year), Blake Pendergrass (songwriter of the year), Vince Gill (Kris Kristofferson lifetime achievement award) and Paul Williams (NSAI President's keystone award). "The Gambler," written by the late Don Schlitz, was named the year's "legendary song."
Performers included country artists Chris Stapleton, Warren Zeiders, Vincent Mason, and Green and Hannah McFarland, who performed “Don't Mind If I Do," originally recorded by Green with Langley. Rodney Crowell, Ashley McBryde, Ricky Skaggs, Sonya Isaacs, Andrea Zonn and ERNEST also performed. Langley made a special appearance for the second verse of "Be Her," alongside the song's co-writers HARDY, Smith Ahnquist and Jordan Schmidt.
2026 NSAI "10 songs I wish I'd written":
“20 Cigarettes”Written by: Chris LaCorte, Chase McGill, Josh Miller, Blake Pendergrass(recorded by: Morgan Wallen)
“Bar None”Written by: Ben Johnson, Hunter Phelps, Lydia Vaughan(recorded by: Jordan Davis)
“Backseat Driver”Written by: Jacob Davis, Jordan Walker(recorded by: Kane Brown)
“Be Her”Written by: Smith Ahnquist, Michael Hardy, Ella Langley, Jordan Schmidt(recorded by: Ella Langley)
“Country Song Came On”Written by: Dan Alley, Ryan Beaver, Neil Medley(recorded by: Luke Bryan)
“Don't Mind If I Do”Written by: Riley Green(recorded by: Riley Green ft. Ella Langley)
“I'm The Problem”Written by: Grady Block, Charlie Handsome, Jamie McLaughlin, Ernest Keith Smith,Morgan Wallen(recorded by: Morgan Wallen)
“Just In Case”Written by: Alex Bak, John Byron, Charlie Handsome, Jacob Kasher Hindlin,Blake Pendergrass, Ernest Keith Smith, Josh Thompson, Morgan Wallen(recorded by: Morgan Wallen)
“Somewhere Over Laredo”Written by: Andy Albert, Trannie Anderson, Harold Arlen, Yip Harburg, Dallas Wilson,Lainey Wilson(recorded by: Lainey Wilson)
“The Fall”Written by: Ray Fulcher, Bobby Pinson, Jeremy Stover(recorded by: Cody Johnson)
“Weren't For The Wind”Written by: Johnny Clawson, Ella Langley, Joybeth Taylor(recorded by: Ella Langley)
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Ella Langley's 'Choosin' Texas' breaks all-time Billboard record
