23 Things That Happened in the World During Ella Langley’s Historic 23 Weeks at No. 1

Ella Langley just broke a major record. She can now say she had the longest-running non-consecutive No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100. The hit, “Choosin’ Texas”, has bent the boundaries and earned Langley fans inside and outside the country sphere.

Though we music lovers have had tunnel vision on Langley’s success, the world has kept spinning over the historic 23 weeks. Below, revisit the tentpole moments that have formed the backdrop to Langley’s world takeover.

The 2026 Winter Olympics

Langley’s “Choosin’ Texas” first hit No. 1 in February of 2026. While she was lighting up the charts, Olympic athletes from around the world were gearing up to represent their country in Milan.

Kendrick Lamar Hit a Major Milestone

At this year’s Grammy Awards in February, Kendrick Lamar was crowned the most highly awarded rapper in history.

People Have Complained About Both Freezing Temperatures and Scorching Heat While Listening to Ella Langley’s “Choosin’ Texas”

“Choosin’ Texas” has both soundtracked the 2026 summer and had people dreaming about it during the throes of winter.

Bad Bunny Headlined the Super Bowl

Alongside Langley’s exciting February milestone, Bad Bunny made waves at the Super Bowl, headlining the halftime show alongside Lady Gaga, Ricky Martin, and a slew of other celebrity cameos.

BTS Reunited

K-Pop fans were thrilled in March when BTS reunited after completing their mandatory military service.

Miley Cyrus Wowed Millennials

Miley Cyrus took us back to the Hannah Montana days with a nostalgia-fodder anniversary special.

Artemis II Launch

The world looked to the sky as the first crewed trip to the moon since 1972 blasted off in April, setting a distance record for human space travel.

Justin Bieber Scrolled Through YouTube During His Headlining Coachella Slot

Justin Bieber got the internet talking as he used his time on the biggest Coachella stage to scroll through old videos of himself on YouTube. He took requests, giving the crowd exactly what they wanted.

The World Revisited Michael Jackson

The King of Pop got a leg up in pop culture as the younger generation discovered his legendary catalog thanks to a buzzy biopic.

There Were Four Separate Zendaya Movies on the Docket

Zendaya was primed to win in 2026 in April when the first of four movies set for release this year, The Drama, hit the silver screen. The actress went on to star in two more major releases while Langley was completing her legendary run, and she still has one more on the way.

Golden Tempo Won the Kentucky Derby

It’s been a good year for female record breakers all around, as the 2026 Kentucky Derby crowned its first female trainer after Cherie DeVaux led her horse, Golden Tempo, to a mind-blowing last-to-first win.  

Ella Langley Swept the ACM Awards

Unsurprisingly, Langley swept at this year’s ACM Awards, with “Choosin’ Texas” earning her Song of the Year and Single of the Year alongside several other wins.

Kids Left School, Had Summer Vacation, And Went Back To School… All to the Soundtrack of “Choosin’ Texas”

[RELATED: Ella Langley Beats Out Mariah Carey for All-Time Hot 100 Record With “Choosin’ Texas”]

What’s going to be the song of the summer is always a big conversation; Langley’s lengthy No. 1 won out in 2026, soundtracking many kids’ summer vacations.

The Knicks Ended a 53-Year Championship Drought

The world turned to New York as the fervor for the Knicks spread like wildfire. The team broke a major championship drought, exciting basketball fans from coast to coast.

Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce’s Wedding Brought Even More Buzz to New York City

Everyone in the world wished they had gotten the invite.

The U.S. Celebrated 250 Years

Many a 4th of July party had Langley on the playlist; that’s for sure.

2026 FIFA World Cup

Spain won the World Cup with a historic halftime show featuring Coldplay, Madonna, BTS, Justin Bieber, and Shakira.

‘Spider-Man’ Made Another $2 Billion

Circling back to Zendaya, one of two films she released this year alongside her husband Tom Holland made $2 billion at the box office, becoming the highest-grossing domestic release of all time.

‘The Odyssey’ Got The World Talking About IMAX

Elsewhere in the movie world, Christopher Nolan’s epic adaptation of The Odyssey got people talking about the “right” way to watch a film of this scale.

Country Songs Dominated the Hot 100

With Langley leading the way, August 2026 saw all country songs at the top of the charts, including “Been By Now” by Morgan Wallen, “I Knew It, I Knew You” by Taylor Swift, “I Can’t Love You Anymore” also by Langley and Wallen, and “Boston” by Stella Lefty.

So Many Prequels and Sequels

This year was the year for prequels and sequels. From Toy Story 5 to The Devil Wears Prada 2 and many others, you could’ve revisited dozens of your favorite storylines in the time that Langley has broken this record.

We Lost Dolly Parton

While country music has had major milestones this year, it also suffered a major blow: the loss of Dolly Parton in August 2026. The world mourned the loss of this music icon and renowned humanitarian.

People Celebrated Easter, Memorial Day, the Fourth of July, Labor Day, and the Start of Football Season

More than half of the year’s major moments went by with Langley’s song stuck in our heads.

(Photo by Jason Kempin/Getty Images)

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