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Updated · The New York Times · Sep 4Ella Langley’s ‘Choosin’ Texas’ Rules Hot 100 for 20 Weeks, Setting Non-Holiday Record
3 articles · Updated · The New York Times · Sep 4Summary
- Twenty weeks at No. 1 have made Ella Langley’s “Choosin’ Texas” the longest-running non-holiday leader in Billboard Hot 100 history.
- Austin karaoke crowds are singing every word, while Nashville music insiders have also embraced the track despite its Texas-over-Tennessee premise.
- Langley, who is not from Texas, tapped the state’s mythology and a long-running musical rivalry with Tennessee; co-writer Miranda Lambert is Texan.
- The song’s crossover appeal shows how a regional identity anthem has become a national country-pop phenomenon.
Insights
How did an Alabama native's gentle breakup track about Texas quietly shatter an all-time Billboard pop record? Could the unprecedented mainstream success of this regional hit permanently shift the epicenter of country music away from Nashville?