Ella Langley's country single Choosin' Texas has spent 15 weeks at number one on the US Billboard Hot 100, making it the longest-running chart-topper by a female solo artist for a non-holiday song, surpassing records previously held by Whitney Houston and Mariah Carey. Unlike those bombastic pop anthems, Langley's track is a relaxed, retro-tinged two-step, and its success matters because it signals country music's continued crossover strength in the mainstream, with women currently leading several of the genre's biggest hits.

The song tells the story of a Tennessee woman who realises, while visiting Texas with her partner, that his heart still belongs to his home state, blending classic country heartbreak with lyrical nods to Jerry Reed, Ronnie Milsap and George Strait. Co-written by Langley with Miranda Lambert, Joybeth Taylor and Luke Dick, it is one of five country songs currently in the US top ten, alongside hits from Taylor Swift, Stella Lefty and Langley's own duet with Morgan Wallen, reflecting a rare moment where women dominate country's mainstream success despite the genre's historically poor track record on gender representation.