“Choosin’ Texas” is on a historic run, and Miranda Lambert played a big part in that.
In what seems like one of the greatest success stories in country music history, Ella Langley’s rise to all-genre superstardom has been one to behold over the past two years. If you’ve been paying close attention within the genre over the years, it was more than apparent that the Alabama native was bound to be a star, catching early buzz with tracks like “Country Boy’s Dream Girl,” “paint the town blue” and “That’s Why We Fight” with Koe Wetzel. With that being said, however, I don’t think anyone could have predicted the world-dominating, record-smashing success she’s had recently.
Launching off the success of her Riley Green collaboration, “you look like you love me” throughout 2024 and 2025, as well as other hits such as “weren’t for the wind,” the Alabama native has become nothing short of a phenomenon thanks to the megahit that is “Choosin’ Texas,” And, in turn, she has captured the hearts of nearly everyone in the country and the world over the past year.
Today, “Choosin’ Texas” officially stands alone as the longest-running #1 hit in U.S. history with 23 weeks, passing Mariah Carey’s long-standing record of 22 atop the all-genre Billboard Hot 100. Just incredible:
During interview with Cody Alan on SiriusXM’s The Highway, Miranda talked about the wild success of the song, which she co-wrote along with Ella, Luke Dick and Joybeth Taylor, and it was actually inspired by a story Miranda told Ella about her pet kangaroo, believe it or not.
In addition, Miranda served as co-producer for Ella’s Dandelion album, and has become a very close friend and mentor of hers as well. In fact, they are gearing up to put out another duet soon after Miranda dropped this cryptic teaser yesterday… it’s since been confirmed that Ella is the duet partner.
And when it comes to the wild ride that “Choosin’ Texas” has been for Miranda too, she says she loves the “George Strait vibe,” and of course, how the song is about her home state of Texas. She says all of the writers of course loved the song right away, and that the more old school, nostalgic vibe has really connect with people.
But like any song of this magnitude, there’s some “secret dust” that juts pushes it into the stratosphere, and the element of what’s going on at the heart of the song is a “cool heartbreak song” and I think Miranda put it perfectly in terms of it being “bad***”:
“I don’t know how we, no, I mean, we loved it. Of course, I love it. It’s kind of got this George Strait vibe, you know? And it’s about Texas. I mean, yeah, we were like, ‘Oh, this song’s so good.’
We didn’t realize that it would just have this nostalgia for people. I don’t really know the secret sauce of what’s going on. I think it’s the guitar tones and the lick up top. I think that it feels like you’ve heard it before or like it could have been from the ’90s or the ’70s or the ’80s, and you can’t really pinpoint why you feel like you know it, but it’s also fresh. There’s just this secret dust on it.
And personally, I love that like the girl in it is this beautiful, cool girl, but she didn’t win, you know? She lost. And I feel like it’s a cool like heartbreak song but like in a badass way.
Alan pointed out how they have so many country elements in the song, from Texas to Tennessee to Jack, two-stepping and cowboys and cowgirls, and Miranda agreed that made it fun:
“They did all the things.”
I don’t think it’s really possible to ever predict a song is going to be as successful as “Choosin’ Texas” has been, and I haven’t heard Miranda say much about it thus far, and even though she is a massively successful, very decorated artist, this is all a first for her too which is really, really cool.
She’s beyond talented, clearly her and Ella make a great team, and I don’t think their world domination is slowing down anytime soon, and I’m here for it. Speaking of Miranda, Ella and duets, they teamed up for “Butterfly Season” on Dandelion too:
Here’s the interview:
