{"id":390603,"date":"2026-07-29T14:20:08","date_gmt":"2026-07-29T14:20:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/390603\/"},"modified":"2026-07-29T14:20:08","modified_gmt":"2026-07-29T14:20:08","slug":"ella-langleys-choosin-texas-top-songwriters-on-why-its-a-smash","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/390603\/","title":{"rendered":"Ella Langley\u2019s \u2018Choosin\u2019 Texas\u2019: Top Songwriters On Why It’s a Smash"},"content":{"rendered":"

\n\tElla Langley<\/a>\u2019s \u201cChoosin\u2019 Texas\u201d 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, \u201cChoosin\u2019 Texas\u201d logged its 15th week at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, spending the most weeks ever<\/a> at No. 1 for a non-holiday title by a woman with no co-billed acts. \u00a0<\/p>\n

\n\tOn the current chart, Langley\u2019s \u201cChoosin\u2019 Texas\u201d surpasses Whitney Houston<\/a>\u2019s 1992 hit \u201cI Will Always Love You\u201d and Mariah Carey\u2019<\/a>s 2005 smash \u201cWe Belong Together.\u201d (Carey still has bragging rights with \u201cAll I Want for Christmas Is You,\u201d which has spent 22 weeks in the top spot since its 1994 release.)<\/p>\n

\n\t\u201cChoosin\u2019 Texas,\u201d written by Langley, Miranda Lambert<\/a>, Luke Dick and JoyBeth Taylor, \u00a0is 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 \u201cChoosin\u2019 Texas\u201d has struck such a chord (every pun intended) with millions of listeners.\u00a0We asked them to evaluate the tune from a songwriter\u2019s 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\u2019s performance and the overall authentic, relatable vibe of the story. As Laura Veltz says, \u201cSongwriters dream of writing songs that can hit all those cylinders at once.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tBelow, Veltz, Ashley Gorley<\/a>, Luke Laird and several other hit songwriters share what they find so enticing about \u201cChoosin\u2019 Texas.\u201d For other records that Langley has set, read more here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\tAshley Gorley (\u201cI Had Some Help,\u201d \u201cLast Night,\u201d \u201cPlay It Again\u201d)<\/p>\n

\n\t\u201cChoosin\u2019 Texas\u201d 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\u2019t love this track, regardless of the genres they usually listen to.<\/p>\n

\t\u00a0Laura Veltz (\u201cHigh Road,\u201d \u201cThe Bones,\u201d \u201cSpeechless\u201d)<\/p>\n

\n\t\u201cChoosin\u2019 Texas\u201d feels like the combined avalanche of each of the four songwriters\u2019 ten thousand hours. It takes a long time, and thousands upon thousands of songs, to write something that simple so well. It\u2019s an everyday life experience described plainly in the kind of commercial symmetry that hits like a song we\u2019ve always known, and yet it\u2019s 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\u2019m 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\u2019ll bet it fell out in 15 minutes.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\tGabe Simon (\u201cThe Great Divide,\u201d \u201cHigh Road,\u201d \u201cPray\u201d)<\/p>\n

\n\tI was in a studio in London two weeks ago and the assistant asked, \u201cwhere are you from?\u201d I said, \u201cNashville.\u201d And from there she started singing \u201cChoosin\u2019 Texas\u201d to me. That\u2019s the power of this song. It\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n

\tLuke Laird (\u201cDrink In My Hand,\u201d \u201cSo Small,\u201d \u201cAmerican Kids\u201d)<\/p>\n

\n\tOutside of it being a great song, the opening guitar hook pulls you in immediately. But it\u2019s not just a great riff, it\u2019s the entire sonic palette that elevates \u201cChoosin\u2019 Texas\u201d to another level.<\/p>\n

\tDarrell Brown (\u201cRaining on Sunday,\u201d \u201cWhy Don\u2019t We Just Dance,\u201d \u201cYou\u2019ll Think of Me\u201d)<\/p>\n

\n\tThe thing that grabbed me wasn\u2019t 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\u2019t chase the moment, they outlive it. That\u2019s a lot harder to write than people realize.<\/p>\n

\tBlake Pendergrass (\u201cDon\u2019t We,\u201d \u201cBrunette, \u201cJust In Case\u201d)<\/p>\n

\n\tFirstly, 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 \u201cAbilene\u201d and other lines gives the song so much character.<\/p>\n

\tZach Crowell (\u201cI Am Not Okay,\u201d \u201cShe Had Me At Heads Carolina,\u201d \u201cBreak Up in a Small Town\u201d)<\/p>\n

\n\t\u201cChoosin\u2019 Texas\u201d checks all the boxes from Ella\u2019s vocals, great lyrics, perfect melody, tasteful production and hooky\u00a0musical parts. You add all that up along with perfect timing in pop culture and you get a big ol\u2019 hit. Hitting 10 different bullseyes at once is hard to do.<\/p>\n

\tRyan Hurd (\u201cLonely Tonight,\u201d \u201cSunrise, Sunburn, Sunset,\u201d \u201cWhat If I Never Get Over You\u201d)<\/p>\n

\n\tIt\u2019s encouraging in today\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n

\t


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