"Choosin' Texas" by Ella Langley reached No. 1 on Billboard's Hot Country Songs chart for all the right reasons.
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Langley co-wrote the track with Miranda Lambert, Joybeth Taylor, and Luke Dick. It's about a woman on the losing side of a love triangle, and there are plenty of reasons why it's a hit.
For one, it's catchy, but it's also relatable. Who hasn't looked across a bar and longed to be "two-steppin' around the room" with someone, only to have their eyes look the other way.
This common theme has inspired many songs, including Wham!'s holiday classic "Last Christmas." It's about someone who gives someone their heart, only to see it given away to another.
Someone picked up on the connection between the two songs and brought them together in one of the best remixes we've heard in some time.
Ella Langley and Wham!? This Can't Work!
DJ Vic posted his mash-up on TikTok earlier this week, and it has unsurprisingly gone viral.
It kicks off with the opening chords of Langley's guitar. Then, as she croons about cowboys who "always find a way to leave," the synths of "Last Christmas" kick in.
George Michael's "ooohs" and "aahs" dovetail nicely into Langley's realization that he's "choosin' texas." Then, Michael's vocals on "Last Christmas" take over, and we're left wanting more.
And don't worry. If you're participating in Whamageddon, the seasonal challenge of avoiding "Last Christmas" as long as possible between Dec. 1-24, you're in the clear. Covers, remixes, or performances not by Wham! don't count and won't eliminate you.
Why Is "Choosin' Texas" So Popular?
Many fans thought the song was about Riley Green, Langley's partner on the song "You Look Like You Love Me," choosing Megan Moroney over her. However, Riley's date at the CMA Awards has proven those rumors false, and Moroney has been seen out with actor Glen Powell.
Langley says the song spilled out of her during a writing retreat with Lambert a year ago. It all started with a story about a kangaroo.
"Then [Lambert] got pulled over with a kangaroo in the passenger seat," she said. "And I was like, 'This story's as good as I thought it would be.' She said the lady cop pulled her over, and she's like, 'Of course I have Texas plates on the back of my car.'
Langley added, "I was walking to the bathroom, and I started to go, 'She's from Texas, I can tell by the way he's two-steppin' around the room.' And Miranda was walking behind me to the bathroom, a separate one, and she was like, 'Wait a minute! The b***h he went with, she's from Texas, I can tell.' The girl he went with, you know?
"And from there, I think the song fell out in about 30 minutes, and it's one of my favorite ones we got off the retreat that weekend."
Check out the video for "Choosin' Texas" below.
