Ella Langley’s “Choosin’ Texas” is no stranger to breaking chart records, but the yearning country song recently set one of its most significant milestones yet: For the Hot 100 chart dated Aug. 1, “Choosin’ Texas” logged its 15th week at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, spending the most weeks ever at No. 1 for a non-holiday title by a woman with no co-billed acts.
On the current chart, Langley’s “Choosin’ Texas” surpasses Whitney Houston’s 1992 hit “I Will Always Love You” and Mariah Carey’s 2005 smash “We Belong Together.” (Carey still has bragging rights with “All I Want for Christmas Is You,” which has spent 22 weeks in the top spot since its 1994 release.)
“Choosin’ Texas,” written by Langley, Miranda Lambert, Luke Dick and JoyBeth Taylor, is a hummable earworm from start to finish, but what exactly makes it so catchy? Billboard asked some of the top songwriters in country and pop music, all of whom know a thing or two about writing a No. 1 hit, why “Choosin’ Texas” has struck such a chord (every pun intended) with millions of listeners. We asked them to evaluate the tune from a songwriter’s perspective; They all had different reasons on why it is has been so successful, but the one trait mentioned most was the opening guitar hook that immediately draws the listener in. They also lauded Langley’s performance and the overall authentic, relatable vibe of the story. As Laura Veltz says, “Songwriters dream of writing songs that can hit all those cylinders at once.”
Below, Veltz, Ashley Gorley, Luke Laird and several other hit songwriters share what they find so enticing about “Choosin’ Texas.” For other records that Langley has set, read more here.
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Ashley Gorley (“I Had Some Help,” “Last Night,” “Play It Again”)
“Choosin’ Texas” is an instant country heartbreak classic, and Ella is the perfect artist to bring the song to life. There are no wasted notes or lyrics; it sounds completely authentic. As songwriters, we strive to write songs that feel fresh yet familiar, that remain true to their core and that people never get tired of listening to. I love songs that bring new listeners to country music, and I have never met anyone who doesn’t love this track, regardless of the genres they usually listen to.
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Laura Veltz (“High Road,” “The Bones,” “Speechless”)
“Choosin’ Texas” feels like the combined avalanche of each of the four songwriters’ ten thousand hours. It takes a long time, and thousands upon thousands of songs, to write something that simple so well. It’s an everyday life experience described plainly in the kind of commercial symmetry that hits like a song we’ve always known, and yet it’s also the tearless, vulnerable pining of a woman completely aware of herself and her hopeless situation. There are also no villains in this song. I’m weirdly equally sad and happy for everyone. Songwriters dream of writing songs that can hit all those cylinders at once, but if I were to guess, I’ll bet it fell out in 15 minutes.
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Gabe Simon (“The Great Divide,” “High Road,” “Pray”)
I was in a studio in London two weeks ago and the assistant asked, “where are you from?” I said, “Nashville.” And from there she started singing “Choosin’ Texas” to me. That’s the power of this song. It’s simple, cruising, a joy to sing, makes you smile and has one of my favorite guitar hooks in a modern tune. You hear it once and it makes you want to learn how to play that cascading melody. But even more, the song shows the power of Ella Langley and her effortless confidence. The power of Miranda Lambert and her never ending legendary status. And the power of the storyteller through the wit and charm of Luke Dick and Joybeth Taylor. The kind of power that not only breaks records but places these badasses at the forefront of modern songwriting, production and artistry.
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Luke Laird (“Drink In My Hand,” “So Small,” “American Kids”)
Outside of it being a great song, the opening guitar hook pulls you in immediately. But it’s not just a great riff, it’s the entire sonic palette that elevates “Choosin’ Texas” to another level.
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Darrell Brown (“Raining on Sunday,” “Why Don’t We Just Dance,” “You’ll Think of Me”)
The thing that grabbed me wasn’t a clever hook or some flashy twist. It has that timeless, lived-in quality that reminds you why the classics still work: Plainspoken lyrics, a melody that feels inevitable, and a groove that never gets in the way of the story. Those kinds of songs don’t chase the moment, they outlive it. That’s a lot harder to write than people realize.
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Blake Pendergrass (“Don’t We,” “Brunette, “Just In Case”)
Firstly, I think that song is the perfect blend of great production and incredible vocal delivery. The intro guitar part hooks you after the very first listen and then every other part of the song from there keeps you just as interested. I also love all of the memorable lyrical lines and the way Ella sings them. For instance, the way she lifts up on “Abilene” and other lines gives the song so much character.
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Zach Crowell (“I Am Not Okay,” “She Had Me At Heads Carolina,” “Break Up in a Small Town”)
“Choosin’ Texas” checks all the boxes from Ella’s vocals, great lyrics, perfect melody, tasteful production and hooky musical parts. You add all that up along with perfect timing in pop culture and you get a big ol’ hit. Hitting 10 different bullseyes at once is hard to do.
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Ryan Hurd (“Lonely Tonight,” “Sunrise, Sunburn, Sunset,” “What If I Never Get Over You”)
It’s encouraging in today’s climate to see a song like this succeed. It reminds me that the best chance for success at this level still comes down to great songwriters in a room, doing their best to create something truly special.
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