When RBD named their recently released album Empezar Desde Cero, they were just messing with us.  The pop group does nothing of the sort in this catchy, sappy, all-around happy production.  They stick to the recipe that works for them:  3 parts female voice (extra-sweet), 2 parts catchy choruses (remaining group members: you sing here), a pinch of lyrics about love/breakups, and a dash of simple melodies (substitute with guitars/synthesizers if they’re feeling frisky).  When paired with scantily-clad, good-looking young soap stars, the result is inevitable: a pop group with selling power and mass appeal that has been able to produce another album which already has, and will continue to see much success in 2008.
 Despite the predictability of the songs, there are a few tracks on this album which actually hint at broader experimentation.  “No Digas Nada” is a standout track which incorporates a bluesy guitar into the mix, and had it been written in English, it could have easily been a part of Shania Twain’s repertoire.   Another win is “Extraña Sensación,” a dance track with club-worthy kick. 
The fact that RBD’s fan base is growing up along with them cannot be ignored, and the group will soon have to sing about more than love if they want to keep up with the kids.  The album does, however, suggest that they may be headed in that direction.  For example, “A La Orilla” is about a partner in a relationship who struggles with intimacy issues.  In “Fui La Niña,” a female sings regretfully about her naïveté, and realizes that you shouldn’t have to change yourself to make a relationship work, and “Extraña Sensación” deals with the notion of lust versus love.   Even though the theme of relationships monopolizes the album, we do have to give RBD credit for slowly attempting to wean their fan base from their addictive sugary-pop concoction…one spoonful at a time.  –Jennifer Jolly