It’s Valentine’s Day and the CBC’s Jennifer Van Evra has thoughtfully compiled this Maple music collection to get us thinking about romantic interludes and loves past and present.
Ella Langley
The rising country star has ascended to the top. Fellow country singer, B.C.’s Cameron Whitcomb, arrives on the chart with “Kingdom of Fear.”
Canadian fans are “Choosin’ Texas.”
After a six month climb, Alabama country star Ella Langley’s hit “Choosin’ Texas” has hit No. 1 on the Billboard Canadian Hot 100, dated April 11. The track’s rise to No. 1 follows its success on The U.S. Hot 100, as it notches a fifth week at the top.
Since its release last October, “Choosin’ Texas” has become a sleeper hit. The classic country tune is a wistful heartbreak song, with a strong, swaying southern melody. It’s a bittersweet moment for Langley, who finds herself accepting that a former flame is moving towards a new lover in, you guessed it: Texas.
“I don’t know if it’s because it’s a very honest point of view, you know, but I hear a lot of honest songs all the time,” Langley tells Billboard, grappling with the song’s success. “I tried to add some groove into this record, big singing choruses and big melodic guitar licks that you can remember. I don’t know if it feels nostalgic or sounds like something they hadn’t heard before.”
Langley co-wrote the song with fellow country singer Miranda Lambert during a writer’s retreat last fall, after Langley shared details about a former partner who maintained Texas vehicle plates. Months later, it has catapulted Langley into the North American peak ahead of the release of her sophomore album, Dandelion, out this Friday.
In addition, the country hitmaker scores three other hits on the chart: “Be Her” reaches a new peak at No. 21 and “Loving Life Again” rises 54-47, while “Dandelion” drops 68-81.
Meanwhile, fellow country singer Cameron Whitcomb is scoring a new entry on the charts. The rising Canadian star’s track “Kingdom of Fear” arrives at No. 73, weeks after he debuted with his first-ever love song, “You and Me.”
Hot on the heels on his major wins at this year’s Junos, the B.C.-native’s latest release is an emotionally charged folk-rock song fronted by Whitcomb’s raw, gritty vocals and a fervent guitar. The high-octane track ushers in a new era for the acclaimed artist, who will be releasing his new EP, Deep Water, later this month.
“Kingdom of Fear” is an earnest look at mental health: “Honey, I've been scared to death, looking in the mirror / Just another day in the kingdom of fear,” he sings.
“[It] seems like lately I’ve fallen back in love with songwriting,” Whitcomb shares. “Something familiar, comfortable, but also refreshing about it. It’s been an incredible time getting to put these ideas that’ve been banging around in my head on paper.”
Earlier this year, Ye (formerly known as Kanye West) apologized for his antisemitic remarks and “reckless behaviour. While his apology hasn’t won over U.K. authorities— resulting in the cancellation of Wireless Festival, which Ye was set to headline — the provocative artist has continued his chart dominance, debuting at No. 2 with Bully on the Billboard Canadian Albums chart — his first solo release in four years.
Of the album’s 18 songs, Ye scores 15 entries on the Canadian Hot 100, including: “Father,” featuring Travis Scott (No. 25), “All The Love,” featuring Andre Troutman (No. 28), “King” (No. 42), “Punch Drunk” (No. 43), “Whatever Works” (No. 48), “This A Must” (No. 52), Highs and Lows (No. 54), “Bully,” featuring CeeLo Green (No. 61), “Mama’s Favorite” (No. 64), “Preacher Man” (No. 65), “Sisters and Brothers” (No. 67), “I Can’t Wait” (No. 71), “White Lines,” with Andre Troutman (No. 87), “Beauty and the Beast” (No. 93) and “Last Breath” featuring Peso Pluma (No. 96).
Elsewhere, Central Cee debuts at No. 62 with “WAGWAN.” The high-energy drill track is from his latest project, All Roads Lead Home, which arrives at No. 85 on the Canadian Albums chart.
BTS maintain a second week at No. 1 on the Canadian Albums chart with their comeback album, ARIRANG. A few spots down, RAYE’s This May Contain Hope arrives at No. 10, one spot higher than her placement in the U.S. It follows the success of her cheekily honest song “Where Is My Husband!,” which hits a new peak at No. 5 on the Canadian Hot 100, while “Click Clack Symphony,” rises 79-63, following its debut last week.
Find all of Billboard Canada's charts here.
