As 2026 comes to a close, people are beginning to look back on the music released throughout the year. The biggest song of the year was undeniably “Choosin’ Texas” by Ella Langley, a breakout country star from Alabama. It broke the record for longest running number one single of all time (26 non-consecutive weeks, as of Nov. 7), surpassing “All I Want for Christmas is You” by Mariah Carey.

This record having been broken has caused a lot of online discourse because a lot of people feel like they don’t know “Choosin’ Texas” and wonder how a song they’re completely oblivious to is the biggest song of the year. Even last year, “Die With A Smile” by Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars was inescapable. It was number one for five weeks and in the top 10 for 51 weeks. It’s also the fastest song to reach 1 billion Spotify streams (96 days). Despite its chart success, “Choosin’ Texas” is yet to hit the 1 billion streams milestone as of publishing.

Streaming numbers aside, Langley has a lot backing up her success. She has collaborated on songs with multiple massively successful artists in country music like Morgan Wallen and Miranda Lambert plus earlier in 2026 she performed at Kid Rocks “Rock the Country” music festival. It also helps that her music sits at a crossroads of country, pop, and adult-contemporary music with relatable themes of heartbreak and yearning.

There’s a clear disparity because plenty of people are listening to Langley, but there’s also a large number of people who feel completely unaware of her. None of this is to speak on the quality of Langley’s art or who she is as a person. It’s to explore the lack of a monoculture in today’s day and age.

While the term “monoculture” originates from agriculture, it was adopted by cultural commentators in the late 20th century to describe blockbuster events that everybody was either tuned into or at least aware of. For example, the series finale for “M*A*S*H” brought in 77% of active TV viewers the night it aired (reportedly 106 million people). Due to social media and streaming services, there is rarely, if ever, events like this that pull such large audiences.

There’s a lot of pros and cons to the death of monoculture. On the positive side, the way algorithms are designed nowadays allows for more freedom in the media people would like to consume. It’s easier now more than ever to discover new things perfectly tailored for what you’re into. Like one song on spotify and 10 artists who make similar stuff get recommended to you. There’s also a lower bar for entry when a new creator enters the entertainment industry. They don’t have to sign with major studios or record labels just to find their own niche audience.

On the other hand, gaining stability is much harder for artists now. TikTok has made it easy to get 15 minutes of fame but way harder to maintain a career. People’s attention spans are fractured so artists tend to come and go, especially on pop and hip-hop spheres. However, country music fans are known to listen to the same few hits longer than other genre specific fans. 

Additionally, with media consumption having become so spread out it can feel lonely in certain corners of the internet. A big part of music consumption today is fandom interaction and while social media has made it easier than ever to connect with people who share the same interests, it also leads to less water cooler moments and an increase of echo chambers.

All of this leaves Billboard in a weird place. They have been tracking the most popular songs and albums in the United States since 1913, adapting and changing their rules for over 100 years to keep up with an ever changing music industry. Whether they can truly adapt to the current era is yet to be determined. What is clear is that popularity is in the hands of the consumer now more than ever.