Rebelde (song)

"Rebelde" is the debut single by Mexican pop group RBD. It was released on 30 September 2004, as the lead single from their debut album ''Rebelde'' in 2004. "Rebelde" became 2005's major hit in Mexico and was the song that started the band's successful career. The single is widely considered to be the group's signature song since RBD is short for Rebelde, and was performed in all of the group's tours. The song was used extensively in the soap opera ''Rebelde'' during its first season. A Portuguese version with the same name was released as the first single of the album's Brazilian edition on 1 November 2005.

Background and release

In 2004, production on the teen-oriented telenovela ''Rebelde'' began, with Pedro Damián serving as executive producer. Its six young lead actors, Anahí, Alfonso Herrera, Dulce María, Christopher von Uckermann, Maite Perroni, and Christian Chávez were put together to create RBD, as part of the contract with the company Televisa, to promote the show. They recorded their first album in two days, and "Rebelde" was released as the lead single on 30 September 2004. The telenovela premiered on Televisa in Mexico on 4 October, and went on to achieve high ratings in the country. Their debut album ''Rebelde'' was released on 30 November, to commercial success. After achieving significant success in Brazil, the group recorded a Portuguese-language version of the album, with "Rebelde - Versão Português" accompanying it as the lead single. A Cumbia version was performed as the final song during the band's first concert series, ''Tour Generación RBD En Vivo''.

Compostion and lyrics

The song was written by DJ Kakfa and Max di Carlo, and produced by both alongside Armando Ávila. It is a Latin pop, pop rock, and teen pop song that lasts for three minutes and 34 seconds. Its uses the typical verse-pre-chorus-chorus-post-chorus structure. The chorus finds the band singing: "Y soy rebelde" (And I'm a rebel"), every two lines, and making statements in-between, such as: "Cuando te quiero hasta rabiar" ("When I love you until I rage"), and "Cuando me juego hasta la piel" (When I play to the skin" or "When I dare to it all").

The first verse is sung by Anahí and Alfonso, saying that they think about each other while their fathers scold them for how they act: ("...Mi padre grita otra vez / Que me malgasto mi futuro y su paz/Con mi manera de ser" ("...My dad yells again / That I waste my future and his peace, with my way of being").

The second verse comes from Christian and Dulce María, where Christian promises to run away one day "...para jugarme todo por un sueño" ("...to bet everything for a dream"). Meanwhile, Dulce tells the listener that they have to bet on everything despite the two outcomes: "Todo en la vida es a perder o ganar/Hay que apostar, hay que apostar sin miedo" ("Everything in life is to lose or to win, we have to bet, we have to bet without fear").

The pre-choruses are done by both duets, with a difference in the first lines; the former sing "Aunque lo escucho ya estoy lejos de aquí" ("Even though I hear him, I'm already far from here"), while the latter say "No importa mucho lo que digan de mí" ("It doesn't matter much what they say about me"). Both end with "Cierro los ojos y ya estoy pensando en ti" ("I close my eyes and I'm already thinking of you").

The post-choruses are sung by Chrisitan and Anahí. The instrumental bridge features an electric guitar solo, before going into the last chorus. One notable aspect is that Maite and Christopher do not sing, despite the latter having a more prominent role in the telenovela than Christian. However, in the music video and when doing shows, the second post-chorus was given to Maite, even when the band was required to use playback in some televised performances.

Music video

The music video was released alongside the song. It was directed by Damián and featured several cast members from the show. The band and actors from the telenovela arrive at a house for an exclusive party. Throughout the video, the teens and young adults party throughout the house. The group, dressed in black clothes with fake tattoos, is also seen singing on a stage while performing some choreographed dance moves. They keep rebelling throughout the video even though their parents are around. At the end of the video, they are led into the woods by a man to take away their sins.

With the re-release of the group's music in 2020, the song's music video has garnered over 14 million views on YouTube as of September 2023.

Commercial performance

The song gave the band recognition in Mexico, the United States, Spain, and the rest of Latin America.

In the group's home country, the song peaked at number 1 on the charts, and became the nation's biggest hit in 2005. In the U.S., it peaked at number 37 on the'' Billboard'' Hot Latin Songs chart and at number 21 in its Latin Pop Airplay chart. "Rebelde" reached number 1 on the charts in El Salvador, Guatemala, and Spain, while peaking at number 35 in Venezuela.

In 2008, "Rebelde" was certificated Gold in Brazil.

Charts

Certifications

Awards and nominations

Track listings

References

{{RBD (band)
2004 debut singles
RBD songs
Spanish-language songs
2004 songs
EMI Records singles
Songs written by DJ Kafka
Songs written by Max di Carlo
Song recordings produced by Armando Ávila