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Ella Langley and Olivia Dean Dominate Luminate’s Mid-Year Songs Chart; Spanish-Language Music Soars in Popularity
Ella Langley and Olivia Dean have emerged as the biggest new stars of the year so far, each placing two songs in the top 10 of Luminate's Mid-Year 2026 songs chart, the data source used by Variety and Billboard. The report, which for the first time combines music with television and film data, also highlights a broader industry shift: global streaming is up sharply and Spanish-language music now accounts for roughly one in ten US streams, underscoring the growing commercial weight of Latin music and reflecting wider changes in listening habits.
Langley's "Choosin' Texas" tops the chart at No. 1, with nearly double the consumption of Dean's No. 2 hit "Man I Need," while Langley's "Be Her" (No. 4) and Dean's "So Easy (to Fall in Love)" (No. 10) round out their presence in the top 10. Globally, on-demand audio streams grew 9.8% year-on-year to 2.8 trillion in the first half of 2026, with non-US streams up 11.8%. Spanish-language listening reached 9.4% of US streams as English-language share fell to a record low of 87.1%, R&B/hip-hop remained the dominant US genre at roughly a quarter of streams, and US CD sales rose 16% to 16.3 million units, boosted by K-pop physical releases.
In short
- Ella Langley and Olivia Dean lead Luminate's 2026 mid-year songs chart.
- Spanish-language music now makes up nearly 10% of US streams.
- Global music streaming grew almost 10% in H1 2026.
Explained simply
Luminate is a music data provider that tracks streaming consumption globally and compiles rankings of the most-played songs. Major music publications such as Variety and Billboard rely on Luminate's data when reporting on industry trends. This year's mid-year report is notable because it combines music streaming data with television and film consumption for the first time.
The chart features two artists with particular commercial success in 2026: Ella Langley and Olivia Dean, each with multiple songs in the top 10. Both are new artists who are reaching large audiences through streaming platforms.
The mid-year data also reveals broader industry trends beyond these individual successes. Spanish-language music has grown to account for roughly one in ten US streams, whilst global streaming consumption has increased substantially. Together, these developments show the significant role that international and non-English music now plays in streaming audiences.
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