Every Regional Mexican Song to Enter Billboard’s All-Genre Hot 100 Chart
Written by djfrosty on January 4, 2023
In May 2021, Gera MX and Christian Nodal made Billboard history with their collaboration “Botella Tras Botella,” becoming the first-ever regional Mexican title to enter the Billboard Hot 100 chart in its 64-year history. The country-tinged hip-hop fusion debuted and peaked at No. 60.
“This song did not have a marketing strategy or a plan. It has soul,” Gera MX, a former Billboard Latin Artist on the Rise, previously told Billboard. “I wrote it thinking about someone very important to me and people can tell that it hurt me a lot. I can’t find any other explanation and it’s beautiful. You’re not only showing off your artistic side, but also your human side.”
That same year, two other Regional Mexican titles entered the Hot 100 chart, which blends all-genre U.S. streaming (official audio and official video), radio airplay, and sales data: Ivan Cornejo’s “Esta Dañada” and Grupo Firme’s “Ya Superame.”
But it was sibling trio Yahritza y Su Esencia, who as of now, has earned the highest ranking for a regional Mexican song on the chart with “Soy El Unico,” debuting at No. 20 in 2022. The then 15-year-old lead singer’s feat was historic, becoming the youngest Latin performer to enter the all-genre tally.
“I know that the words are very strong, but honestly, when it comes down to me writing my songs, it’s more like a research process,” Yahritza, who penned the song at 13, explained to Billboard at the time. “I see other people’s stories on TikTok — that’s how I found ‘Soy El Unico,’ because I saw a clip that said, ‘It’s crazy how someone can leave you when you’re the only one who’s best for them.’ No one’s going to believe me when I say that I get my inspiration from TikTok.”
Like “Soy El Unico,” most of these tracks have been fueled by their massive success on TikTok and social media, such as Grupo Frontera’s “No Se Va” last year. The song, which the group released independently and is a Norteño cover of Colombian group Morat’s 2018 single, debuted at No. 99 with 4.8 million U.S. streams (up 43%) and 1,000 downloads sold (up 278%) in the Sept. 23-29, 2022, tracking week, according to Luminate.
Their latest collaborations, “Que Vuelvas” and “Bebe Dame,” have earned Carin León and Fuerza Regida, each respectively, their first No. 1s on the Hot 100 dated Jan. 7, 2023.
As of now, only seven Regional Mexican tracks have entered the Hot 100. Prior, only three other regional Mexican acts have visited the chart since its inception in 1958, all through pop songs: Kumbia Kings and A.B. Quintanilla with their collaborative tune “U Don’t Love Me” (2000), and Marco Antonio Solis with his featured role on Enrique Iglesias’ “El Perdedor” (2014).
Check out every regional Mexican song to enter the Hot 100 below: