The Secret Behind Ella Langley’s Massive Hit ‘Choosin’ Texas’

Ella Langley's“Choosin’ Texas” has climbed all the way to No. 1 on Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart and is currently sitting at No. 5 on the all-genre Billboard Hot 100, as of Jan. 16.

Is there a hidden reason Ella Langley's "Choosin' Texas" is connecting so deeply?

Is there a hidden reason Ella Langley’s “Choosin’ Texas” is connecting so deeply? I think there is — and it comes down to simplicity and confidence.

The song features three choruses, and in each one, the first line carries what feels like the secret sauce:

“She’s from Texas, I can tell by the way / He’s two-steppin’ ’round the room”

After that opening line, Langley leaves roughly three seconds of space — no lyrics, just instruments.

In my view, choosing not to fill every moment with words, especially in the chorus of a song, takes real confidence and a sharp ear. Letting a hook breathe invites the listener in, giving them room to feel the song instead of being told exactly what to feel — and that restraint may be exactly why “Choosin’ Texas” hits as hard as it does.

It's almost as if the artist is saying, "I've said all that needs to be said right here, I'm not just going to fill it up just to fill it up."

Dierks Bentley once told me he calls that "Writing a song to the walls."

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A non-country example of this comes from Tom Petty’s “You Don’t Know How It Feels.” At one point, Petty sings, “Think of me what you will, I’ve got a little space to fill,” and then leaves roughly five seconds of nothing but instruments — letting the moment breathe instead of forcing the next line.

A novice singer or songwriter without confidence wouldn’t have the courage to leave that kind of lyrical space. Instead, they might feel compelled to fill it with unnecessary lines, throwaway words or even a vocal grunt — anything to avoid the silence.

I'm not alone in my thoughts — I brought some receipts.

A Smithsonian analysis examining Billboard hits from 1950 to 2023 found that melodic complexity has steadily declined over time. In other words, listeners increasingly gravitate toward simplicity — songs that feel immediate, relatable and unafraid to leave space.

Who Wrote Ella Langley's "Choosin' Texas"?

Ella Langley, Miranda Lambert, Luke Dick and Joybeth Taylor are the four songwriters of the smash hit.

Ella Langley has many songs that will stick in your head, let's take a gander at some of our favorites.

The 15 Best Ella Langley Songs

Ella Langley showed up in country music's mainstream as a dark horse with an unlikely hit: "You Look Like You Love Me," a Riley Green duet that was catchy as all get-out but featured some unusual (and old-school) stylistic choices like talk-singing.

But it was a smash. And that turned out to be just the beginning of what Langley had to offer. She's continued to dominate with hits like "Weren't For the Wind" and the crossover mega-hit "Choosin' Texas," becoming one of the most high profile acts in country music and a bonafide star even beyond the genre.

Keep reading for Taste of Country's countdown of 15 Ella Langley songs that put her on the map, and then rewrote the rules of what traditional country sounds like — and how successful it can be even beyond the genre.

Gallery Credit: Carena Liptak

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Gallery Credit: Billy Dukes