Introduction
Ella Langley Joins Exclusive Club: Only 12 Women Have Achieved This Billboard Hot 100 Feat THIS CENTURY
Country music’s newest breakout star Ella Langley has added a rare milestone to her rapidly growing résumé, joining a highly exclusive group of women who have cracked the Top 10 of the all-genre Billboard Hot 100 chart with a country song — a feat achieved by only a dozen women this century.
Langley’s song “Choosin’ Texas” recently climbed all the way to No. 5 on the Billboard Hot 100, marking her first Top 10 entry on the all-genre chart and solidifying her place as one of the most exciting voices in contemporary country music.
What makes this achievement especially notable isn’t just the chart position, but how rare it is for a female country artist to reach that level on a chart dominated by pop, hip-hop, and crossover music. According to Billboard’s tally, only 12 women or female-led acts have reached the Top 10 of the Hot 100 this century with a country-styled song since 2000.
Country music has historically been underrepresented on the Hot 100 compared to mainstream pop and R&B releases. Of the thousands of songs that have entered the chart over the past 25 years, only a small fraction — just 60 — have been country songs, and a significantly smaller subset of those were fronted by women.
Langley’s sudden rise mirrors the paths of some of the most iconic female country artists of recent decades, from Faith Hill and Carrie Underwood to crossover stars like Taylor Swift, who dominate the list of female country Top 10 hits.
“Choosin’ Texas,” co-written by Langley and acclaimed artist Miranda Lambert, has been a commercial juggernaut. After debuting on the Hot 100 in late 2025, its surge into the Top 5 early in 2026 reflects both strong streaming numbers and powerful radio play across formats.
For Langley — who first broke through with her viral song “You Look Like You Love Me” and a series of CMA and ACM Award wins — this Top 10 achievement isn’t just another chart statistic. It represents a breakthrough for female country music artists in a music landscape where such accomplishments are still comparatively rare.
As country music continues to evolve, Langley’s success with “Choosin’ Texas” demonstrates that traditional influences and modern momentum can blend to create mainstream hits — and that women in the genre are increasingly staking their claim on the biggest stages in music.