Ella Langley’s ‘Choosin’ Texas’ Finally Breaks Mariah Carey’s All-Time Record for Weeks at No. 1, Eclipsing ‘All I Want for Christmas Is You’

There’s no long tail like a “Choosin’ Texas” long tail. Ella Langley‘s smash has just set the all-time record for the most weeks spent by a single at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart: 23. That pushes it out of the tie it held last week with Mariah Carey‘s “All I Want for Christmas,” which had been the previous record-holder with 22 weeks.

Of course, “all time” may not last for long, since Carey’s 1994 recording seems destined to return to the No. 1 spot in December, as it always does, so regaining the all-time top position could well be in sight for Carey by January. Then again, no one has any realistic idea how much gas “Choosin’ Texas” still has in the tank, with nothing immediately poised to overtake it on the chart. Langley could Carey-proof her record-holding position by adding another few weeks to her tally before the Christmas season hits.

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While conventional wisdom would say that even the most ardent fans of Langley and “Choosin’ Texas” might be starting to tire of the song after such a long time — it has been charting for 48 weeks altogether now, with just under half of those weeks in the No. 1 position — the remarkable thing is that it continues to pick up new listeners. In this fragmented musical era, many people who aren’t country fans are still hearing it for the first time, as more pop stations have put down their guard against Nashville sounds in order to program a smash.

Any losses in streams are being counterbalanced by still-growing radio play. This week, the song had 21.8 million official streams (down 9% from the previous week) and enjoyed 58.3 million radio airplay audience impressions (up 2% from last week). “Choosin’ Texas” is still on the top of Billboard’s Streaming Songs and Digital Songs charts — and in the current week it moves up from No. 6 to No. 2 on the Radio Songs chart. Apart from its peak months ago on the country airplay chart, it is now in the top 10 on Billboard’s pop airplay, adult-pop airplay and adult contemporary charts.

Langley’s “Dandelion” album also continues to be a big hit, if not one that will break records like the single. “Dandelion” returned to No. 1 on the Billboard 200 album chart last week, although this week it gets knocked down to No. 2 by virtue of Jhene Aiko’s “Westside Whimsy” album debuting in the top spot.

Langley has a big fall ahead of her, awards news-wise as well as chart-wise. On Nov. 16, the Grammy nominations will be announced, in which Langley is expected to have a big look, perhaps finally making up for many years in which country has gone unrepresented in the top four categories. Two days after that come the CMA Awards, where she is the leading nominee. Langley recently picked up nine nominations for the CMAs, which will be broadcast out of Nashville Nov. 18.

Langley has some country company on the Hot 100, as the genre commands the top three positions. Stella Lefty’s “Boston” continues to hold the No. 2 spot. “Boston” also moves to No. 1 on the country airplay chart for the first time this week. Right behind it at No. 3 is Morgan Wallen’s “Been by Now.”

Rounding out the Hot 100’s top 10 are Ariana Grande’s resurgent “Hate That I Made You Love Me” at No. 4, Tame Impala and Jennie’s “Dracula” at No. 5, Taylor Swift’s movie song “I Knew It, I Knew You” at No. 6, Karol G’s “Bby Wow” at No. 7, Olivia Dean’s “So Easy (to Fall in Love)” and “Man I Need” back to back at Nos. 8-9, and a second Langley hit, “Be Her,” at No. 10.