The chart milestone
Ella Langley's "Choosin' Texas" held the No. 1 spot on the Billboard Hot 100 for an 18th week, giving the country singer the longest run at the top of the all-genre chart by a female artist with a non-holiday song. The track, which first reached No. 1 in February, has now spent more weeks at No. 1 on the Hot 100 in 2026 than all other artists combined, according to figures cited in independent reporting dated August 19, 2026.
How the run stacks up
With 18 total weeks at No. 1, "Choosin' Texas" sits one week away from tying the No. 2 spot for the longest reign among non-holiday songs. Shaboozey's "A Bar Song (Tipsy)" and Lil Nas X's "Old Town Road," featuring Billy Ray Cyrus, are at that mark. Mariah Carey's "All I Want for Christmas Is You" remains ahead with 22 total weeks when holiday songs are included. Some reporting frames the song's 18-week run as the third-longest in Hot 100 history, while other coverage describes it as one week from tying for second among non-holiday songs, reflecting how holiday entries are categorized.
The latest week's numbers
In its 18th frame at the top, "Choosin' Texas" logged 25 million official streams, 54.6 million radio airplays and 8,000 units sold, according to independent reporting. The song is also the only country track by a woman to simultaneously top Billboard's Hot 100, Hot Country Songs and Country Airplay charts. Country music has been unusually dominant on the Hot 100 this year, with four of the chart's top five positions held by country songs, including Taylor Swift's "I Knew It, I Knew You" and Morgan Wallen's "Been by Now."
Career context beyond the chart
Langley's 2026 also includes a sweep of all seven of her nominations at the Academy of Country Music Awards, a record for most wins by an artist in a single year, plus American Music Awards for best female country artist and best country song and a nomination for best country at the 2026 MTV Video Music Awards. Her sophomore album, "Dandelion," was released in April, and she has collaborated with Koe Wetzel on the viral song "Jaded." Her arena-headlining Dandelion Tour is scheduled to run through October, with stops including Red Rocks and two nights at the Greek Theatre in Los Angeles.
Lambert's advice and next collaborations
In a recent interview with Variety, Langley credited country star Miranda Lambert with helping her stay grounded during the run, quoting Lambert as urging her to "stay true to myself, keep the music at the center of everything, and trust that the rest will take care of itself." Langley also named Stevie Nicks, Chris Stapleton and Harry Styles as dream collaborators for future work, including a potential third album. The all-female opening acts on the first leg of the Dandelion Tour include Kaitlin Butts, Gabriella Rose and Laci Kaye Booth, with Avery Anna and Madeline Edwards added for the Hamilton show.
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