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Ella Langley leads a record-breaking country boom on the charts

NPR | By Stephen Thompson
Published August 6, 2026 at 4:40 PM EDT

This week's Billboard Hot 100 chart is full of country-music crossovers. Stephen Thompson of NPR Music reports.

Copyright 2026 NPR
Stephen Thompson
Stephen Thompson is a host, writer and reviewer for NPR Music and Pop Culture Happy Hour. He appears frequently on All Songs Considered and NPR newsmagazines.
See stories by Stephen Thompson