Rebels

It was inevitable. After a few years of staggering commercial success throughout Latin America, including Brazil and the Spanish-language enclaves of the United States, the teen pop group RBD unveiled an English-language crossover album, Rebels. The release had been planned for some time. First there was a brief tour of the States in early 2006 that resulted in the CD/DVD Live in Hollywood. Then there was a high-profile concert at Madison Square Garden in July that was such an event it earned a snide notice in The New York Times by renowned music journalist Jon Pareles 'This is rebel music?' his article began. And then there was the run-up to the release of Rebels, which was preceded by lead single 'Tu Amor,' the group's English-language debut, and then by Celestial. RBD album Rebels is set to conquer the U.S. mainstream. The single, 'Tu Amor' is an instant breakout hit all over U.S. Top 40 Radio. The Multi-Media, Multi-National Phenomenon, RBD, boasts international Multi-Platinum Album Sales, and a sold -out American arena tour. Members of the group are Dulce Maria, Anah¡, Maite, Christopher, Alfonso, and Christian.

The massive success of Mexican pop group RBD can be described as such: the six members of the band were originally cast as bandmates on a Mexican TV series entitled Rebelde ('rebel') and the enormous success of the show made putting together a real-life band a natural next step. The group exploded in the Latin scene, winning Billboard Awards, packing arenas, and selling almost ten million CDs in their first two years together. Rebels, the group's third disc (their first English-language recording) features five of their previous hits translated into English. The songs are all group efforts, with members trading off vocal leads and each contributing harmonies. Since most of RBD are TV veterans, it's safe to say that some are perhaps more gifted actors than they are singers (consider Dulce Maria's painful Britney-on-helium whine). Thankfully, the songwriting is left up to the pros who provide a consistent balance of teen-friendly top-40 pop, largely centered around two topics: love and the loss of love. "Tu Amor" and "My Philosophy" are two examples of straight-up boy-band style love songs with a Latin hue; the group occasionally brings in a somewhat gruff reggaeton sound ("Cariño Mio," "Wanna Play") which is where they shine the brightest. There is admittedly very little that is rebellious about RBD, but their devoted audience clearly loves them just the way they are. --Denise Sheppard