Billboard Record Tied by Ella Langley's 'Choosin' Texas'

Ella Langley has tied the Billboard record. Her single "Choosin' Texas" logged its 22nd week at No. 1 on the Billboard chart, matching the all-time mark held by Mariah Carey's "All I Want for Christmas Is You," according to Billboard's chart dated September 19, 2026. The milestone was confirmed on September 14 and puts a song released last year level with one of the most enduring hits ever recorded.

The chart news adds to what has already been a defining year for the country singer, who now holds a share of the Billboard record. "Choosin' Texas" is certified six-times Platinum, and Billboard named it the official 2026 Song of the Summer. Her album Dandelion also returned to No. 1 on the Billboard 200 for a third non-consecutive week, as reported in a press release from her team this week.

How the Billboard record was tied

The previous record for a non-holiday song belonged to Lil Nas X's "Old Town Road" and Shaboozey's "A Bar Song (Tipsy)," which each spent 19 weeks at No. 1, in 2019 and 2024 respectively. Mariah Carey broke that mark in December 2025, setting the standing Billboard record, and "All I Want for Christmas Is You" has now spent 22 non-consecutive weeks on top across several holiday seasons, according to Exclaim's chart coverage.

Langley passed the 19-week barrier on the chart dated September 5, making "Choosin' Texas" the longest-reigning non-holiday song in chart history. A week later it tied Carey outright, and Langley now holds a share of the Billboard record. With 22 weeks on top, the song is the longest-running No. 1 of 2026 and the longest-running No. 1 ever by a country musician. Exclaim noted that Lil Nas X still holds the record for the most consecutive weeks at No. 1, while Langley's and Carey's totals are non-consecutive.

Billboard's own chart rundown for the September 19 chart also showed movement below the top spot: Karol G, Judeline and Rusowsky's "Bby Wow" entered the top 10, while Olivia Dean, Ariana Grande, Stella Lefty and Taylor Swift held firm. The top 10 now includes ten different artists who have reached No. 1 this year, with Swift the only one to do it more than once.

A landmark year for Ella Langley

The Billboard record is one piece of a run that extends well beyond streaming numbers. Langley led the nominations for the 60th Annual CMA Awards with nine nods, including Entertainer of the Year, Single of the Year, Album of the Year, Song of the Year, Female Vocalist of the Year, Musical Event of the Year and Music Video of the Year, per the announcement covered this week.

Her singles "Be Her" and "Choosin' Texas" are each nominated for both Single of the Year and Song of the Year, a feat not achieved since Miranda Lambert earned dual nominations in 2010. She also received a Musical Event of the Year nomination for "I Can't Love You Anymore" with Morgan Wallen, and a Music Video of the Year nomination for the "Choosin' Texas" video, which she co-directed. Her rise is a case study for independent music creators building careers outside the old major-label playbook. The nine new nominations bring her career total to 16 CMA nominations.

On the road, Langley is in the middle of the second leg of her sold-out Dandelion Tour this fall, with upcoming stops including Red Rocks Amphitheatre and two nights at The Greek Theatre in Los Angeles, according to her team's announcement. The run is another sign that live arts programming keeps pulling huge crowds as the race for the Billboard record heads into its decisive weeks.

What happens next

Carey's holiday standard returns to the chart every December, which means the record could keep growing on her side once the holiday season arrives. But with Christmas still months away, Langley has a clear opening: if "Choosin' Texas" holds No. 1 for one more week, she will own the Billboard record outright with 23 weeks.

Either way, the tie marks a rare moment in chart history across the entertainment industry. In nearly seven decades of the chart, only two songs have now spent 22 weeks at No. 1. For more on this week's chart, see Billboard's top 10 rundown and Exclaim's coverage of the record.