Country star Ella Langley has officially broken Mariah Carey’s record for the longest-running No. 1 hit in Billboard Hot 100 history, as “Choosin’ Texas” notched its 23rd week atop the chart on Tuesday, September 22, 2026.The achievement surpasses Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas Is You,” which had held the record with 22 weeks accumulated across multiple holiday seasons since 2019 . Langley, 27, reacted to the news on Instagram with characteristic disbelief: “23 weeks. Absolutely insane” .
A Song Born from a Kangaroo Story
The unexpected journey of “Choosin’ Texas” began during a writers’ retreat where Langley collaborated with Miranda Lambert for the first time, alongside co-writers Luke Dick and Joybeth Taylor . Langley recalled Lambert sharing a story about being pulled over with a pet kangaroo in the passenger seat. “She said she got pulled over and the kangaroo ended up getting her out of a ticket, but she’s like, ‘Of course, I had Texas plates on, too,'” Langley remembered. “And I went, ‘Well, she’s from Texas, I can tell.’ And just from that phrase, it kind of all hit us” . Forty-five minutes later, the song was written .Released on October 17, 2025, as the lead single from Langley’s sophomore album Dandelion, the track debuted on the Hot 100 at No. 39 in November, became her first top 10 in January, and first reached No. 1 in February 2026 . It has since spent 48 weeks on the chart overall .
An Emotional Reaction
In a heartfelt Instagram video posted from beside her pool, Langley struggled to articulate her feelings. “I’m genuinely trying to find the words to help explain what’s going on in my brain today,” she said. “Thank you so much. Thank you for loving this song. For listening to it. I don’t even know what to say at this point. I’m running out of hyperboles to describe how I feel” .She credited the song with transforming not just her career but the lives of those around her. “It’s changing my life. It’s changing the lives of the writers of this song. It’s changing the lives of my family, and it is truly growing an atmosphere for something I’m gonna be able to do the rest of my life,” Langley said. “It doesn’t feel like a real thing. It feels fake and somebody is going to come and say, ‘Haha, we’re kidding the whole time'” . She added that she planned to “go out and celebrate tonight” .
What Comes Next
While Langley now holds the all-time record, her reign may face a challenge when Carey’s holiday classic returns to the charts in November and December. Billboard’s Pop Shop Podcast noted that Carey could potentially reclaim the crown during the Christmas season . Langley, however, has a few more weeks to extend her lead before the holiday music cycle begins .The achievement caps a remarkable year for Langley, who has also earned nine nominations for the 60th Annual CMA Awards, including Entertainer, Single, Album, Song, and Female Vocalist of the Year. Two of her songs, “Choosin’ Texas” and “Be Her,” are nominated for both Single and Song of the Year. The CMA Awards will take place on November 18.