RBD

Imagine that Rachel Bilson, Adam Brody, and the rest of the hot young-adult stars of The O.C. played together in Newport Harbor’s hottest fake band. Then imagine they decided to take the music offscreen and around the world. Translate their songs into Spanish, and you’d have RBD, one of the most widely popular pop groups to emerge from Mexico in the past 10 years.

It wasn’t long after the first episode of wildly popular telenovela Rebelde aired in 2004 when the three boys and three girls of RBD decided to make their TV band “real.” The next year saw the release of the group’s debut album, Rebelde, which scored three number one hits on Mexican charts and earned a number two slot for Latin albums in the States. Since then, the group has been selling out concerts throughout Mexico, South America, and the United States. Stylistically, RBD is about as pop-pure as you can get, with nary a trace of Latin influence. This move has made the band incredibly radio-friendly across a wide cultural spectrum, and helped the group continue successfully, even after the last episode of Rebelde aired in ’06. Currently in the throes of a U.S. tour, the bandmates are hoping their blend of high-energy pop and high-quality eye candy will continue to grow their fan base, while a Rebelde spinoff and feature film are in the works.