USA
Billboard Report (excerpt)
'Choosin' Texas' adds landmark 21th week at No. 1
Tuesday, September 8, 2026
by Keith Caulfield & Gary Trust, Los Angeles

Ella Langley's “Choosin’ Texas” scores a 21st week at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 — moving to within one frame of potentially tying the longest run ever atop the chart. The smash

first led in February and has already set multiple chart records. Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas Is You” has topped the Hot 100 each Yuletide season since the festive 1994 anthem initially led at last, and could add to its total in the holidays ahead. “Choosin’ Texas,” on Sawgod / Columbia Records, with Triple Tigers having promoted it to country radio, totaled 24.5 million official streams (up 1% week over week), 58.1 million radio airplay audience impressions (up 2%) and 7,000 sold (up 6%) in the United States Aug. 28-Sept. 3. Langley’s first Hot 100 leader holds for a 21st week at No. 1 on Streaming Songs; stays at No. 5, after reaching No. 4, on Radio Songs; and rebounds 7-4 after 16 weeks atop Digital Song Sales. On Streaming Songs, “Choosin’ Texas” claims the sole second-longest No. 1 run, breaking out of a tie with Lil Nas X’s “Old Town Road.” Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas Is You” has notched 26 weeks on atop the chart. Meanwhile, after topping the

Country Airplay chart for three weeks in February-March. “Choosin’ Texas” was first No. 1 on Valentine’s Day, on the chart dated Feb. 14. It was No. 1 on Independence Day, on the chart dated July 4. Now, it’s No. 1 past Labor Day. Stella Lefty’s “Boston” holds at its No. 2 Hot 100 best and Taylor Swift’s “I Knew It, I Knew You” is steady at No. 3, after it spent its first two weeks on the chart at No. 1 in June. Country claims another dominant week, more than a month after the genre swept the Hot 100’s top five for the first time. Of the 14 weeks all-time with country songs holding the top three, four or five, all have occurred since August 2023, driven, in part, by country’s growth in streaming, among other factors. Ariana Grande’s “Hate That I Made You Love Me” lifts 5-4 on the Hot 100, after it was No. 1 in its debut week in June. Morgan Wallen’s “Been by Now” slips 4-5, after it debuted at its No. 2 high. Tame Impala and Jennie’s “Dracula” holds at No. 6 after reaching No. 5 on the Hot 100. Olivia Dean’s “So Easy (To Fall in Love)” keeps at No. 7 on the Hot 100, after reaching No. 5, with her “Man I Need” up 9-8, after peaking at No. 2. Bruno Mars’ “Risk It All” returns to the Hot 100’s top 10, rising 11-9, after reaching No. 4. Rounding out the Hot 100’s top 10, Langley’s “Be Her” is stationary at No. 10, after hitting No. 2. Rod Wave earns his fourth No. 1 album on the Billboard 200 chart as Don’t Look Down debuts atop the list dated Sept. 12. The set earned 99,000 equivalent album units in the United States in its first week, ending Sept. 3, according to Luminate, largely driven by streaming activity. He previously led the list with Nostalgia (in 2023), Beautiful Mind (2022) and SoulFly (2021). Of Don’t Look Down’s 99,000 first-week equivalent album units, SEA units comprise 90,000 (equaling 95.07 million on-demand official streams of the set’s songs — it debuts at No. 1 on the Top Streaming Albums chart), album sales comprise 9,000 (it debuts at No. 13 on Top Album Sales) and TEA units comprise a negligible sum. The album was released as a 20-track standard, widely available CD and vinyl LP, alongside an expanded 24-track digital download and streaming edition. For its physical release, it was issued across six vinyl variants (including two signed editions) and two CD variants (one signed). Don’t Look Down marks the singer-rapper’s eighth top 10-charted project on the Billboard 200, comprising the entirety of his charted titles. His first top 10 came with Ghetto Gospel in 2019, peaking at No. 10 that November. At No. 2 on the Billboard 200, Alex Warren notches his highest-charted album as his second full-length studio album, Wildchild, debuts with 75,000 equivalent album units earned — his best week ever by units. Of that sum, album sales comprise 55,000 (his best sales week — it debuts at No. 1 on Top Album Sales), SEA units comprise 20,000 (equaling 20.74 million on-demand official streams of the set’s songs; it debuts at No. 25 on Top Streaming Albums) and TEA units comprise a negligible sum. Warren previously hit the top 10 with his debut effort, You’ll Be Alright, Kid, which peaked at No. 5 in August 2025. Wildchild was preceded by three charted songs on the Billboard Hot 100: “Passenger” (No. 100 in June), “Fine Place To Die” (No. 87 in May) and the radio-promoted single “Fever Dream” (No. 21 in March). Four former No. 1s follow Warren on the latest Billboard 200: Ella Langley’s Dandelion dips 2-3 (a little more than 67,000 equivalent album units earned, down 3%); Olivia Rodrigo’s you seem pretty sad for a girl so in love falls 3-4 (67,000, down less than 1%); Morgan Wallen’s I’m the Problem slips 4-5 (60,000, down 4%); and Noah Kahan’s The Great Divide rises 7-6 (53,000, down 1%). Dolly Parton’s Ultimate Dolly Parton falls two spots to No. 7, after reentering at a new peak of No. 5 a week ago following her death on Aug. 25. In the most recent tracking week, the set earned 45,000 equivalent album units (down 23%). Drake’s former No. 1 Iceman rises 9-8 with 39,000 equivalent album units (down 5%); Olivia Dean’s The Art of Loving steps 12-9 with 38,000 units (down 3%); and Karol G’s No Me Arrepiento de Sentir Tanto rebounds to the top 10, climbing 16-10 with 36,000 units (up 7%). The latter is benefitting from its track “BbY Wow,” with rusowsky and Judeline. The song surged 34-16 on the Streaming Songs chart dated Sept. 5.

Record Of The Month
While on his international headline tour for his fourth album,
Oliver Tree and five other people died in a helicopter crash in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil.
Now, some of his songs are experiencing a resurgence on the charts, most notably 'Life Goes On'.

United Kingdom
Music Week Report (excerpt)
'Rein Me In' sets a historic record
Monday, September 7, 2026
by Alan Jones, London
 
Racking up an unprecedented 23rd week at No.1, Rein Me In breaks another record for Sam Fender & Olivia Dean, surpassing the total 22 weeks that versions of I Believe has spent at No.1, a tally comprising 18 weeks by Frankie Laine in 1953 and a further four by Robson & Jerome in 1995. The

Laine ACR giveth, ACR taketh away…No.1 four times in weeks it wasn’t the UK’s most consumed track courtesy of ACR handicapping its rivals, Sam Fender & Olivia Dean’s Rein Me In In is itself on ACR this week, and dips from No.1 even though it is the country’s most-consumed track. While Britain has been in thrall of Rein Me In, America has been choosing Choosin’ Texas, which has racked up 20 weeks atop the Hot 100 stateside thus far for Ella Langley, and takes advantage of Rein Me In’s relegation to ACR to reach No.1 here for the first time this week. On its 34th consecutive week in the Top 75, its 31st consecutive week in the Top 40 and its 11th straight week in the Top 10, Choosin’ Texas jumps 3-1, its consumption climbing 5.46% to 26,909 units (1,711 digital downloads and 25,198 sales-equivalent streams). Only one song in chart history has spent more consecutive weeks in the Top 40 before reaching No.1 – with 35 weeks, it was… Rein Me In.

Choosin’ Texas is the first No.1 by a female country solo artist since 1975, when Tammy Wynette topped with Stand By Your Man, although Taylor Swift, who was initially a country artist, returned to the fold for her recent No.1, I Knew It, I Knew You. Choosin’ Texas is the first No.1 with an American state in its title since 2004 when another Texas Hold ‘Em was No.1 for Beyoncé – another country No.1 but not one by a country artist. Consumption of Choosin’ Texas is the lowest for any No.1 single since Viva La Vida topped the list for Coldplay on consumption of 23,212 copies in June 2008, some 950 weeks ago. In the pre-digital era, a strong No.1 would, on average, account for 8% of the market but Choosin Texas achieves barely a hundredth of that accounting for just 0.094% of this week’s track consumption – the lowest ever for a No.1. The greatest ever market share for a No.1 came in 1997 when, on its second week at the top, Something About The Way You Look Tonight/Candle In The Wind by Elton John secured a massive 57.80% slice of the overall singles market. When Orson’s No Tomorrow was No.1 with an historically low 17,694 sales in 2006, it commanded a 1.66% market share. In today’s market, a track would require consumption of nearly 500,000 copies in a week to match even that. Dolly Parton oldies Jolene and 9 To 5 both led in early sales flashes but their impact faded as the time since Parton’s death increased. Nevertheless, both reach new peaks with 9 To 5 taking the lead to become her posthumous third Top 10 hit (12-5, 22,776 sales) and highest-charting hit ever, while Jolene eclipses its 1976 peak of No.7 (9-6, 21,491 sales). Kenny Rogers duet Islands In The Stream – No.7 in 1983 – jumps 13-9 (17,463 sales). With Sienna Spiro’s Great Expectation advancing to a new peak (5-2, 25,265 sales), Movin’ To The Sun by Hugel, Imael Angel & Ultra Naté slipping 2-3 (24,869 sales), and Stella Lefty’s Boston holding at No.4 (23,329 sales), the Top 5 is incredibly close, with the No.1 title securing just 18.15% more support than the No.5. That’s the smallest span in percentage terms since 15 March 2024 (129 weeks ago) when Texas Hold ‘Em was No.1 for Beyoncé’ on consumption of 53,005 units, 15.34% more than Lose Control’s tally of 45,905 at No.5 for Teddy Swims. In sales terms, the gap between No.1 and No.5, this week is 4,133 – the smallest of the 21st century. This closeness, of course, was precipitated by ACR, which suppresses the two most popular tracks, with Rein Me In – No.1 for 23 weeks in total, including the last 10 sliding to No.7 (19,786 sales) as its streaming points are halved and Olivia Dean’s solo smash Man I Need falling 8-10 (16,651 sales) even as their unadjusted tallies of 39,167 and 33,093 respectively see them continue as the top two on the Top 200 Combined Tracks list, where ACR has no bearing. Rein Me In has topped that list 20 times, while Man I Need has done so 13 times – compared to their 23 weeks and one week respectively at No.1 on the Top 75. Man I Need’s first three weeks at No.1 on the Top 200 Combined Tracks list but none of Rein Me Ins came in 2025. Dean has therefore been No.1 on the Top 200 Combined tracks chart for 30 weeks this year, being kept off the top only by Harry Styles (twice), Taylor Swift (twice), Olivia Rodrigo (once) and Ariana Grande. Back on the main chart, Rein Me In is on its record 36th consecutive week in the Top 10, and 63nd straight week in the Top 40 but its unadjusted consumption falls below 40,000 for the first time in 29 weeks. That record for most consecutive weeks in the Top 10 was previously held by – of course – I Believe, which amassed 35 straight weeks in the Top 10 in 1953/1954. The Cure (7-8, 18,642 sales) by Olivia Rodrigo rounds out the Top 10. Overall singles consumption is down 2.69% week-on-week to 28,764,079 units, their lowest level for 34 weeks, and 3.10% below same week 2025 sales of 29,683,357 units. Paid-for sales are up 1.86% week-on-week at 271,666, 4.21% below same week 2025 sales of 283,602. In a week where there are 11 new entries to the Top 75 – the highest tally so far in 2026 - and a new peak for a 40-year-old album, leadership of the chart changes hands for the 10th week in a row, as 25-year-old Californian singer/songwriter Alex Warren debuts atop the list with his second album, Wildchild. Racking up first week consumption of 24,309 units (5,952 CDs, 8,613 vinyl albums, 361 cassettes, 3,056 digital downloads and 6,327 sales-equivalent streams), Wildchild was already home to four hits, and unleashes another two this week. It secures Warren’s highest weekly sales yet, surpassing the 20,843 units that its predecessor, You’ll Be Alright Kid achieved as it surged 25-1 after being expanded from an EP to a full-length album in July 2025, having originally debuted at No.47 42 weeks earlier. Although You’ll Be Alright, Kid is home to the multi-platinum smash, Ordinary – which spent 13 weeks at No.1 last year – and five other charted songs, it has amassed a comparatively modest 510,056 units and is the 91st most-consumed artist album of the 2020s. It rebounds 26-21 (4,293 sales) this week, its 77th in a row in the Top 40. Manchester quintet Courteeners are one of the most consistent and successful indie bands of the last 20 years securing eight consecutive Top 10 albums – their entire output of studio albums plus a 10th anniversary ‘re-wired’ version of their 2008 debut St. Jude, which charted separately – thus far. Their first compilation, God Bless The Band – which cherry-picks from all of their albums hitherto and adds a couple of new songs – becomes their ninth, debuting at No.2 (11,535 sales). Following the release of a much-expanded 40th Anniversary Edition, Bananarama’s third album, 1986 release True Confessions, shoots back onto the chart at No.6 (8,462 sales), surpassing not only its own original subdued peak of No.46, but becoming the trio’s highest-charting studio album ever, surpassing the No.7 peak of their 1983 debut set, Deep Sea Skiving. Their only album to chart higher is their Greatest Hits Collection, which reached No.3 in 1988. Dolly Parton’s 2022 compilation Diamonds & Rhinestones: Greatest Hits reaches another new peak (6-5, 9,735 sales) in the first full week since her death. The rest of the Top 10: The Essential (2-3, 11,131 sales) by Michael Jackson, You Seem Pretty Sad For A Girl So In Love (4-4, 10,906 sales) by Olivia Rodrigo, Visitor (7-7, 8,328 sales) by Sienna Spiro, The Art Of Loving (8-8, 8,242 sales) by Olivia Dean, 50 Years: Don’t Stop (11-9, 7,412 sales) by Fleetwood Mac and The Highlights (10-10, 7,317 sales) by The Weeknd. Overall album sales are up 0.34% week-on-week to 2,391,827 units, 3.45% below same week 2025 sales of 2,477,251. Physical product accounts for 359,143 sales, 15.02% of the total.