Ella Langley Is Coming for Christmas: ‘Choosin’ Texas’ Ties Mariah Carey
Ella Langley’s “Choosin’ Texas” has tied Mariah Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas Is You” for the longest run at Number One on the Billboard Hot 100. Both songs now hold the record for 22 nonconsecutive weeks at the top of the chart. And the Christmas season is still two months away.
That means Langley could pass Carey entirely. The record for the most weeks spent at Number One on the Hot 100 belongs to Carey, who held the top spot for 22 nonconsecutive weeks with her festive hit. Langley has matched that number, and the holiday bump that usually sends Carey’s song back up in November has not yet arrived. With Carey’s usual “defrost” still two months off, Langley’s song could become the biggest in Hot 100 history.
The Long Road to Number One
“Choosin’ Texas” reached the top of the charts for the first time in February. Since returning to the Number One slot on July 4, it has stayed there ever since. The song clearly has the title of Song of the Summer, and now it is pushing toward something larger.
The road to the top was not smooth. The song made its way to Number One after months of steady climbing. Once it got there, it refused to leave.
Country Takes Over the Top Five
This summer has not just been a banner one for “Choosin’ Texas,” but also for country music on the charts in general. At the beginning of August, the genre claimed all five spots on the Billboard 100:
- “Choosin’ Texas”
- Morgan Wallen’s “Been By Now”
- Taylor Swift’s “I Knew It, I Knew You”
- The Wallen-Langley collab “I Can’t Love You Anymore”
- Stella Lefty’s “Boston”
Stella Lefty’s “Boston” now holds the Number Two slot for the second consecutive week.
Swift’s “I Knew It, I Knew You” also just hit Number One on country radio, Swift’s first single to reach that mark in 13 years. That move comes with added weight: the song scored the superstar her first CMA Award nomination in four years.
The Record at Stake
Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas Is You” has received holiday bumps almost every year since it was released in 1994. The song typically returns to prominence in November, when the Christmas season begins. That return has kept it near the top of the Hot 100 for decades.
Langley’s song is doing something different. It has climbed steadily throughout the year, reaching Number One in February and staying there through the summer. The fact that it has tied Carey’s record with the holiday season still two months away is remarkable.
If Langley stays at Number One for another week, she will break the record. Carey’s 22 nonconsecutive weeks stand as the current ceiling, and Langley has matched it. The question now is whether she can push past it.
The Album Returns Too
Dandelion, Langley’s sophomore LP, has also returned to the top of the Billboard albums charts. The album’s resurgence follows the song’s run at Number One.
Nominations at the CMAs
Langley just landed the most nominations at the upcoming 60th CMAs, with nine in total. She is nominated for Single of the Year for “Choosin’ Texas” and Entertainer of the Year.
The CMAs are a major event for the genre, and Langley’s nine nominations put her in the lead.
What Comes Next
The next few weeks will tell the story. Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas Is You” has typically returned to the top of the charts in November, when the holiday season officially begins. Langley’s “Choosin’ Texas” has shown no signs of slowing down.
If Langley can hold the Number One spot for another week, she will break the record. Carey’s 22 nonconsecutive weeks stand as the current ceiling, and Langley has matched it with a song about choosing Texas.
| Event | Date |
|---|---|
| “Choosin’ Texas” ties Carey’s record | Current |
| Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas Is You” hits 22 weeks | 1994-present |
| Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas Is You” usually returns in November | Typically |
| Langley’s “Choosin’ Texas” hits Number One again | July 4 |
The record is tied, and the season is still two months away. That is the situation the numbers present, and it is a strange one. A song about choosing Texas has outlasted a Christmas classic, and the story is not over yet.
Langley’s song has already rewritten the summer narrative. It was the Song of the Summer, and now it is chasing a record that has stood for decades. The only thing left to do is wait and see if the song can hold on for one more week.
Whether it breaks the record or not, the run has already changed what a country song can do on the Hot 100. A song about choosing Texas has spent more time at Number One than a Christmas classic, and that is a position nobody expected when the song first appeared.
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