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

NPR | By Stephen Thompson

Published August 6, 2026 at 3:40 PM CDT

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

NPR Music News

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

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