Daughter of Jenni, niece of Lupillo, Chiquis Rivera is the heir to a long-standing dynasty that goes all the way back to her grandfather Pedro, a pioneer of Mexican music in Los Angeles. In spite of her own achievements, including a Latin Grammy for her 2020 album, Playlist, for years it was almost inevitable to make comparisons. “My family’s success fills me with pride, but now I feel like I am different, and that both my work and experience have evolved,” she tells Apple Music. Proof of this is evident on Abeja Reina, an album in which she has found a space of her very own. It unites all the diverse characteristics of this particular artistic personality who also passes time riding on horseback across Mexico and the US. “Regional is my thing, without doubt. I love norteño music and banda, but I do not want to be put in a box,” she explains. “I was born in Long Beach, a city where rap is all over the place. I sense that there is a rapper and reggaetón artist within me.”
The album covers hymns of empowerment to the beat of cumbia, such as “La Ex,” Mexican-cantina corridos like “Entre Besos y Copas,” and spiritual tracks like “Cuándo Me Amarán,” which could be considered the first ranchero gospel track in history. Beyond the specific songs included within, Abeja Reina as a cohesive whole was conceived as a deeply intimate chronicle arising from lived experiences. “I needed everything to have a reason, a purpose,” she says. “My wish was to grow and explore as a composer and a singer.” Read on to gallop along with her, track by track.
“Intro”
“It was me who wrote every intro. I deemed it necessary to explain what Abeja Reina means—especially because it can be misinterpreted or simply not understood. It is not a secret that I have been criticized as a vocalist. Now I am ready. I felt it since day one of the tour.”
“Abeja Reina”
“There aren’t many women who sing corridos. My mom was among the first who did, and I’ve always had the desire to sing in that genre. For a while, I had been after a song like this one. I knew I had to write it myself so that it included certain details. Regional music is dominated by men, although there are many female talents out there who have the guts—or ‘the ovaries,’ as Jenni Rivera would say—to go for it. More than ever, I knew I could defend this theme. It was the perfect moment.”
“Mi Problema”
“This track is about heartbreak. It is about accepting that our significant other has left, that we have given our best to the relationship, and that the time has come to forget. I have loved this song since my childhood, but somehow life led me to decide that the ideal moment was now. It just fits me like a glove.”
“La Ex”
“I wrote this song in Miami with Motiff, a Venezuelan producer, composer, and artist, and with Erika Ender, one of the composers behind Luis Fonsi’s ‘Despacito.’ What I wanted was really clear to me. I might not be a size 4 woman, but I certainly know how to move and use what I’ve got. Above all, I don’t care about what other people say. This is a track aimed at empowering ladies like me, who have been maligned and about whom rumors have been spread. I’ve been called ordinary, ‘equis,’ or ‘x’ in Mexican slang. And I am no ordinary gal, I am no ‘x’…I am the big boss.”
“A Lo Menso”
“This song deals with something I lived through myself. Thus, during the intro, I confess that I do not regret having fallen in love. What I regret, instead, is having ignored certain signs that the universe was sending me. At the end of the day, I thank that special person because of what I learned about appreciating life and acknowledging the changes I had to implement as a woman. I wrote it with Luciano Luna, although we never sat down together, as such—we only texted each other. To my ears, the piece is perfect. Everyone has gone head over heels for someone at least once in their lives. It all comes down to lessons that help us evolve.”
“Entre Besos y Copas”
“That I wanted a song like this one in my album was crystal clear. It is a track that deserves a drink...A ‘tonight I’m getting loaded’ track. I wanted the arrangement to have a strong ranchera style, with a barlike vibe. As women, we have gone through bad times. Yet here we are, reunited at the bar to forget those who broke our hearts but who will never steal away our dignity.”
“Cualquiera”
“It is the quirkiest of songs, very Chiquis-like. I enjoy every kind of music, so I don’t want to be put in a box. I yearn to make rap, urban, cumbia…I don’t want to be treated like a cualquiera, a nobody, because I am no cualquiera. An experimental track searching for a different kind of sound. It was about coming up with something new, fresh, and unique. I feel that we achieved our goal with this tune.”
“¿Cuándo Me Amarán?”
“Many tough moments have been part of my life, not just romance-wise but also throughout my career. I have asked myself why I’ve been so criticized, why I’m not accepted or given a chance. And, of course, I’ve also asked myself what lay in the heart of the person who broke mine. It is sort of a Spanish version of ‘When Will I Be Loved.’ It reflects everything I felt. On many occasions, I have wondered who I could turn to. God is my answer, in the end. Often, I ask for forgiveness and help, because I want to be loved right, I don’t want to suffer anymore. Hard moments like these lead me to seek refuge in my faith. Kanye West was an important source of inspiration, particularly in the backing vocals sung by a gospel choir. I wanted them to take on a banda sound.”
“Quiero Amanecer Con Alguien”
“It is about refusing a mediocre kind of love. It is about wanting to be loved just as I deserve—be it in a romantic relationship or a friendship. Here, I express my readiness and my unwillingness to look back. I want to both give and receive. This melody is sexy and sensual. I love singing it because it increases my sense of feeling like a woman. Here I am, with my virtues and flaws: love me.”
“El Honor”
“A song about pride, the voice of a woman who says, ‘This fellow treated me unrighteously.’ But, hey, listen, you’ll soon realize that it was an honor to be by my side. Luciano Luna wrote this. He sent me five songs to choose from, but I only needed one to complete the album. This was it. It was originally written for a man, but I really liked the ‘you didn’t value me…later you’ll see’ side of it. I put a lot of effort into it while in the studio. In the end, Luciano liked it and granted it to me. To be honest, it was meant to be mine right from when he created it, even if he wasn’t yet aware of this.”
“La Que Está De Moda Soy Yo”
“Self-love at its best. A song one must listen to in the morning while staring at the mirror and saying, ‘I know who I am.’ Big-headed as this might sound, we need a world where we believe in ourselves. This is, by far, the most fun song on the album.”
“De Contrabando”
“I have always loved this track. When my mom used to sing it, I asked her if I could add it to the repertoire. It is quite sensual and audacious. I wanted it to be Chiquis-style, with a touch of R&B, which I happen to love. Something different. It all comes down to this—to give it a twist, to refresh it a little. So long, of course, as one respects the original version. A very sexy piece, indeed.”
“Outro”
“Right from the start, I wanted to tell an entire experience and end by giving thanks. Gratitude is paramount. I believe that I am thankful to those who listen to my music. My work is devoted to this. I wouldn’t stand where I stand now if it wasn’t for all the people who support me.”