Ross' article mentions "Boston" by Stella Lefty. This singer has an unusual background. She's from L.A. and her actual surname is Lefkosky. Her father, Steve, is a billionaire who co-founded Groupon. I'm amazed that her single is getting played at either CHR or country, seeing how closely it ties in with Noah Kahan's "Stick Season," which was an AC and AAA hit. Even more amazing is that, with her name and background, country programmers are the ones who are responding to it more favorably than CHR programmers.Sean Ross asks the same question:
Choosing Between Ella, Bella, and Stella
The first “why isn’t CHR playing ‘Choosin’ Texas’” article was written by Liveline host Mason Kelter last January, when that song was about three months old, but already phenomenal. Programmer Phil Becker weighed in six weeks ago, asking how the Top 40 PDs who had rejected that song as “not...radioinsight.com
In the Mediabase country chart, had this song not gone recurrent, it would still be in the Top 10.
The Billboard chart has different recurrent rules, and it is at #6 in their airplay chart.
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Top 40 Ignoring Ella Langley
- Thread starter TheBigA
- Start date
Country programmers are more willing to take risks with new artists than CHR. I think that's kind of the point of this thread.
Right now, Stella Lefty's song Boston is tracking at #29 in the country airplay chart. She signed with a brand new country label (Atlantic Outpost) for radio promotion, and she's getting played. Ella Langley has three songs in the country chart now, including her duet with Morgan Wallen. She tests extremely well with young women. We're seeing country radio stations getting big numbers in 18-34. Country is becoming the new CHR.
Ella is at #16 and Stella is at #28 on the UK pop charts. Official Singles Chart Top 40 | Official Charts
On the UK stations I listen to, Choosin' Texas is on non-stop. I feel like it's on my local station, "Your Skipton", every time I get in the car. I even heard it on a Dance station when I was in Liverpool recently.
Ella's Choosin Texas has reached a big milestone...14 weeks at #1 on Billboard's Hot 100.
Yet, she's still ignored by CHR.
www.billboard.com
Yet, she's still ignored by CHR.
Ella Langley’s ‘Choosin’ Texas’ Makes More History With 14th Week at No. 1 on Billboard Hot 100
Ella Langley’s “Choosin’ Texas” notches a 14th week at No. 1 on the Hot 100, while Stella Lefty hits the top 10 with “Boston.”
www.billboard.com
I’ve heard it on KMXV for weeks.Ella's Choosin Texas has reached a big milestone...14 weeks at #1 on Billboard's Hot 100.
Yet, she's still ignored by CHR.
Ella Langley’s ‘Choosin’ Texas’ Makes More History With 14th Week at No. 1 on Billboard Hot 100
Ella Langley’s “Choosin’ Texas” notches a 14th week at No. 1 on the Hot 100, while Stella Lefty hits the top 10 with “Boston.”
"Some" CHR, not all. The song is getting a lot of airplay on CHRs in strong country markets. In fact, it gets played every week on American Top 40. Although Ryan's home station KIIS isn't playing it.
It's the #2 song on KMXV Kansas City with 97 spins a week.
I'm not hearing it on KHTS. It's also a no show on KZZP Phoenix, a strong Country market.
Is it being played on any iHeart CHR's?
Not a lot , but here’s some. 96.1 Kiss , WAYV , Hot 99.5 , XL 106.7. Note that this is not 100% all , as I just skimmed a few pages of recently played pages.
It's still getting played almost as much as "Be Her" here in the VT/NH Upper Valley, even on mostly classic country WCNL Newport, NH, which generally limits current hits to only two or three in any given week, with preference given to more traditional sounds. That station isn't touching "Be Her" but I expect it to be on board with the new single, "Loving Life Again," as it gathers momentum. My favorite track from the album, so I hope it's a monster multi-format hit like "Choosin' Texas" has been.
K.M. Richards
Program Director, The Eighties Channel™
This does not go as specific as @KilowattKat wanted, but a quick check at Mediabase shows the song at #10 for the year in CHR airplay. It had 37,632 plays in June and is at 24,317 this month with two weeks to go. It has been above 24,000 every month from April to now.
That doesn't sound like CHR "ignoring" the song to me.
That doesn't sound like CHR "ignoring" the song to me.
As Big A has started repeatedly, in many markets (mostly strong country),"Choosin' Texas" was huge on AC and/or CHR. It's the lack of crossover airplay in major markets like Los Angeles or ANY airplay in New York that diminishes people's perception of the song's success.
The song was released last year. I started this thread in April when it was #1 in the Hot 100. But as my OP notes, it wasn't getting much CHR play.
The funny part to me is that every Sunday, it gets a spin from Ryan Seacrest on AT40.
Thanks to Ella & Stella, country radio is very popular among the CHR demographic. Thus, country is the new CHR.
K.M. Richards
Program Director, The Eighties Channel™
I think all this thread is proving is that a song can become a hit without the major markets, especially if it can crossover between multiple formats. In addition to CHR, Country and AC/Hot AC, Mediabase shows it also getting AAA airplay.
Depends on what you consider a hit. My point is that it's a hit with the fans. Thus #1 in Hot 100. Just not with CHR radio.
Obviously every location is different for airplay. I can only speak for San Diego, in that if you're an Ella fan and want to hear her on the radio, Country KSON is the only station where you'll hear her Still no airplay on AC (KyXy), Hot AC (KMYI), and CHR (KHTS, XHTZ).
When it comes to perception, one can see why i feel she' is still ignored by everyone but Country.
KSON is been on a ratings upswing, especially last month.
When it comes to perception, one can see why i feel she' is still ignored by everyone but Country.
KSON is been on a ratings upswing, especially last month.
Eight CHR reporters played "Choosin' Texas" more than 100x in the past 7 days, including iHeart's KJYO/Oklahoma City... these are mostly smaller, Southern and Midwestern markets.
22 reporters played it 5x or less, so basically a countdown spin, maybe the lightest of overnight categories, including some very large market, and historically rhythmic leaning CHRs.
Average spins, past 7 days, per station by owner:
Audacy - 54.2 (13 stations)
Cumulus - 48.8 (28 stations)
Townsquare - 44.8 (10 stations)
iHeart - 32.7 (65 stations)
22 reporters played it 5x or less, so basically a countdown spin, maybe the lightest of overnight categories, including some very large market, and historically rhythmic leaning CHRs.
Average spins, past 7 days, per station by owner:
Audacy - 54.2 (13 stations)
Cumulus - 48.8 (28 stations)
Townsquare - 44.8 (10 stations)
iHeart - 32.7 (65 stations)