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Ella Langley Was About To Make History. Her Partner Said No.
Morgan Wallen’s New Song "Been By Now" Shakes Up the Music Charts: A Simple Breakdown
What Happened This Week on the Charts?
Imagine the music charts like a giant scoreboard that tracks which songs people are listening to the most. This week, there was a big shake-up at the top of several important charts. Two country superstars—Morgan Wallen and Ella Langley—are basically playing a game of "musical chairs" with the #1 spots.
IMPORTANT POINT: Morgan Wallen and Ella Langley have only sung together once (on the hit song "I Can’t Love You Anymore"), but right now their solo songs are battling each other for the top positions!
Morgan Wallen’s "Been By Now" Has a Huge Debut
Morgan Wallen released a brand new song called "Been By Now," and it immediately shot to #1 on THREE different Billboard charts at the same time:
- Digital Song Sales (songs people actually buy to download)
- Streaming Songs (songs people play the most on apps like Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, etc.)
- Country Streaming Songs (the same as above, but just for country music)
This is a massive achievement—like winning gold, silver, and bronze all at once!
The Battle for the "Streaming Songs" Crown
This is where the drama gets really interesting. The Streaming Songs chart tracks the most-streamed songs of any genre in the entire U.S.
Ella Langley’s Historic Run Gets Paused
- Ella Langley’s song "Choosin’ Texas" had been sitting at #1 for 16 weeks in a row.
- That 16-week run tied her with "Despacito" (by Luis Fonsi, Daddy Yankee & Justin Bieber) for the 4th longest run at #1 in history.
- If Wallen’s song hadn’t come out this week, Langley would have broken the tie next week and owned 4th place all by herself.
- For now, she stays tied with "Despacito." But don’t count her out—she could climb back to #1 very soon!
Who Holds the All-Time Records?
Just so you know who the "kings and queens" of streaming history are:
| Rank | Song | Artist(s) | Weeks at #1 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | All I Want for Christmas Is You | Mariah Carey | 26 (spread over many years) |
| 2 | Old Town Road | Lil Nas X & Billy Ray Cyrus | 20 |
| 3 | Last Night | Morgan Wallen | 19 |
| 4 (Tie) | Despacito | Luis Fonsi, Daddy Yankee, Justin Bieber | 16 |
| 4 (Tie) | Choosin’ Texas | Ella Langley | 16 |
Morgan Wallen Adds Another Trophy to His Shelf
"Been By Now" is officially Morgan Wallen’s 6th song to hit #1 on the Streaming Songs chart.
Fun Fact: Wallen is actually really good at debuting at #1, but sometimes the songs don’t stay there long.
- 3 of his 6 #1s ("I’m the Problem," "Love Somebody," and now "Been By Now") have only lasted one single week at the top.
- "I Had Some Help" (with Post Malone) lasted 2 weeks.
- "What I Want" (with Tate McRae) lasted 6 weeks.
- "Last Night" is the monster hit that stayed at #1 for 19 weeks.
The Twist: Ella Langley Blocks Morgan Wallen on the BIG Chart
Here is the crazy part: The charts don’t always agree with each other.
While Wallen won on the Streaming and Sales charts, Ella Langley beat him on the most famous chart of all: The Billboard Hot 100.
What is the Hot 100?
Think of the Hot 100 as the "Overall Champion" belt. It combines Streams + Sales + Radio Airplay to decide the most popular song in the whole country.
What Happened?
- On the Hot 100, "Choosin’ Texas" stayed at #1 for a historic 16th week.
- "Been By Now" had to settle for #2.
- This makes "Been By Now" one of the rare Wallen songs that didn’t hit #1 on the Hot 100 (even though he has several other songs that did make it to the top there).
IMPORTANT POINT: It’s a split decision! Walen wins on pure streaming/sales popularity, but Langley wins when you add radio play into the mix.
Summary: The Scorecard
| Chart | #1 This Week | #2 This Week | The Story |
|---|---|---|---|
| Digital Song Sales | Morgan Wallen ("Been By Now") | Ella Langley ("Choosin’ Texas") | Wallen wins on pure purchases. |
| Streaming Songs | Morgan Wallen ("Been By Now") | Ella Langley ("Choosin’ Texas") | Wallen stops Langley’s historic 16-week streak. |
| Country Streaming | Morgan Wallen ("Been By Now") | Ella Langley ("Choosin’ Texas") | Wallen leads the country pack. |
| Billboard Hot 100 | Ella Langley ("Choosin’ Texas") | Morgan Wallen ("Been By Now") | Langley makes history with 16th week at #1 overall. |
FAQ: Your Questions Answered
1. Why are there so many different charts?
Think of it like sports. There’s a league for Sales (who bought the jersey), a league for Streaming (who watched the game on TV), and the Hot 100 (the overall MVP award combining everything). A player can win one league but not the other!
2. What does "Debut at No. 1" mean?
It means the song entered the chart straight at the top in its very first week. It didn’t have to climb up slowly—it started as the champion. It’s like a rookie winning the championship in their first game.
3. Is "Choosin’ Texas" a flop now because it fell to #2?
Absolutely not! Staying at #1 for 16 weeks is legendary. It tied one of the biggest songs of all time ("Despacito"). Falling to #2 just means a huge new song came out; it doesn’t erase the history she already made.
4. Will Ella Langley get back to #1 on Streaming Songs?
Very possibly! The article notes she "could find her way back to No. 1 very soon." Charts change every week. If people keep streaming her song more than Wallen’s new one next week, she reclaims the throne.
5. Are Morgan Wallen and Ella Langley rivals?
Not at all! They are labelmates and friends who collaborated on the hit "I Can’t Love You Anymore." This is just friendly competition—like two teammates racing each other in practice. It actually helps both of them get more attention!
This breakdown is based on Forbes reporting by Hugh McIntyre covering the Billboard charts dated August 8, 2026.
