\n<\/p>\n
\n\tIt\u2019s late July, the time of year when the days are long, the parents are restless, and everyone is consumed with a seasonal debate: What exactly is the Song of the Summer<\/a>? Though this amorphous title isn\u2019t usually anointed until around Labor Day, the chatter starts almost as soon as the season heats up. In today\u2019s social media-centric, algorithm-driven market, however, it\u2019s harder than ever to reach consensus. Still, one thing seems pretty clear to me \u2014 Ella Langley\u2019s \u201cChoosin\u2019 Texas\u201d<\/a> is hands down the song of Summer 2026.<\/p>\n \n\tSo, why aren\u2019t we admitting it yet?<\/p>\n \n\tIf the song stays Number One on the Hot 100 this week, \u201cChoosin\u2019 Texas\u201d will surpass <\/a>Whitney Houston\u2019s \u201cI Will Always Love You\u201d and Mariah Carey\u2019s \u201cWe Belong Together\u201d as the only non-holiday song by a woman to hold the top spot for more than 15 weeks. According to the Billboard<\/em> Summer Songs Chart,<\/a> it\u2019s already the clear winner, with Drake and Taylor Swift trailing behind. Langley\u2019s defining hit is still viral on TikTok, and it\u2019s on both country radio and the dance floor \u2014 even Drake<\/a>, one of Langley\u2019s competitors for this year\u2019s title, played it himself during a DJ set, while others have been offering up their own remixed takes.<\/a><\/p>\n \n\tBut even if you leave all of the pervasive data behind \u2014 after all, Song of the Summer runs as much on vibes as anything else \u2014 \u201cChoosin\u2019 Texas\u201d still should lay claim to the spot. With its relaxed dancehall melody, catchy guitar lick, and Langley\u2019s buttery twang, it just feels<\/em> good. And that\u2019s what a true summer song should be. A singable, danceable, and drink-to-able jam that makes you forget about your troubles, roll the windows down (global warming be damned!), and pour a cold one any time it comes on the radio or your playlist. At the end of the day, it\u2019s about nostalgia<\/a>. That a Song of the Summer can capture a sort of bygone, bittersweet feeling of ephemeral youth is just as important as being a nightclub staple.<\/p>\n \n\tYet many online Song of the Summer lists don\u2019t even include \u201cChoosin\u2019 Texas.\u201d It\u2019s not a contender here<\/a>, nor is it one here.<\/a> Or here<\/a>. While \u201cChoosin\u2019 Texas\u201d is in the running in plenty of other conversations, it seems like a song this omnipresent should have been crowned the warm-weather champ by now. In 2024, The Guardian<\/a><\/em> <\/a>was already anointing \u201cEspresso\u201d<\/a> with the title in June. It\u2019s hard not to wonder if the inherent countryness of \u201cChoosin\u2019 Texas\u201d leaves some list-makers and critics hesitant to hop onboard.<\/p>\n