The latest installment of the 'Ask Billboard' mailbag delves into various aspects of the Billboard Hot 100 charts, providing insights into recent chart-toppers and historical trends, based on questions submitted by readers. The discussion highlights Bad Bunny’s “DtMF” and Ella Langley’s “Choosin’ Texas” as recent No. 1 hits, sparking detailed explorations into their unique attributes and chart history.

Bad Bunny’s “DtMF,” which translates in English to “I Should’ve Taken More Photos,” is noted for its distinctive title. It is one of only two No. 1 titles on the Hot 100 to include a form of the word “photo,” the other being Ringo Starr’s 1973 single “Photograph.” Other top 10 songs with similar titles include Nickelback’s “Photograph” (No. 2, 2005) and Ed Sheeran’s “Photograph” (No. 10, 2015), with Sheeran’s recent hit “Camera” also fitting the theme. Harry Styles also topped the Hot 100 with “Aperture,” a word directly linked to photography. Bad Bunny himself clarified that while the song title mentions photos, its meaning is not entirely literal; it’s about the balance between capturing and living in the moment, as he shared with Billboard last year.

The article also explores the history of abbreviated titles on the Hot 100. “DtMF” continues a trend, with 2011 being a notable year for such titles, including Katy Perry featuring Kanye West’s “E.T.,” Rihanna featuring Britney Spears’ “S&M,” and Perry’s “Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.).” The earliest Hot 100 chart-topper featuring an abbreviation in its title was Jeannie C. Riley’s “Harper Valley P.T.A.” in 1968.

Bad Bunny’s “Nuevayol” is another focal point, having reached a new high of No. 5 on the Hot 100. This achievement makes it the highest-charting Hot 100 hit that specifically name-checks New York in its title. Comparisons are drawn to other New York-themed songs such as The Manhattan Transfer’s “Boy From New York City” (No. 7, 1981) and The Ad Libs’ original “The Boy From New York City” (No. 8, 1965). The discussion provides a comprehensive list of top 40 entries with New York in their titles, spanning decades and artists from Ace Frehley to Taylor Swift, and Frank Sinatra’s iconic “Theme From New York, New York.” Additionally, other No. 1 hits with strong New York connections are mentioned, including Jay-Z and Alicia Keys’ “Empire State of Mind” and Christopher Cross’ “Arthur’s Theme (Best That You Can Do),” with its famous lyric “if you get caught between the moon and New York City.”

In response to Ella Langley’s “Choosin’ Texas” topping the Hot 100, the mailbag also examines other Hot 100 hits that include forms of “choosin’,” “choose,” or “choice” in their titles. Color Me Badd’s “Choose” is noted as having reached No. 23 in 1994.

Finally, the article clarifies Ella Langley’s unique position as the first solo artist named Ella to top the Hot 100. While the legendary Ella Fitzgerald had a prolific career with many chart-toppers before the Hot 100’s inception in 1958, including “Cow-Cow Boogie” and “Stone Cold Dead in the Market,” her highest Hot 100 peak was No. 27 with “Mack the Knife” in 1960. More recent artists named Ella have also seen success, such as Ella Mai’s “Boo’d Up” reaching No. 5 in 2018, and “Ella Baila Sola” by Eslabón Armado and Peso Pluma peaking at No. 4 in 2023. Thus, Ella Langley, whose full first name is Elizabeth, marks a historical first for a solo Ella to achieve a No. 1 on the Hot 100.