Latin Pop

2 1/2 Stars; "Celestial" --3 Stars

No matter what Mexico goes through -- armed rebellions, political upheavals, crime waves -- its mainstream pop stays as conventional as a quinceanera, the traditional debutante ball. RBD, which stands for Rebelde, is the latest in a series of prefabricated bands that have dominated Mexico's pop music market for a quarter-century.

This group of beautiful young people -- three boys and three girls -- is produced by Pedro Damian, the man behind the 1980s group Timbiriche, which gave us current solo stars Thalia and Paulina Rubio. RBD was created for a hit Mexican soap opera on which its members play friends who start a band. Critics may yawn, but Latino teens have bought their CDs by the millions.

With "Rebels" (Virgin/EMI Televisa), its first English-language album, the group attempts what no other Mexican pop act has achieved: a pop crossover in the United States.

This may be the wrong material at the wrong time. The Latin crossover craze long ago went kaput, and it's hard to see how the band can revive it with this bland collection of teenage love songs entirely too wholesome for U.S. kids raised on the brazen sexuality of MTV.

In the bilingual "Tu Amor," two of these made-for-TV rebels coo words of love, a syrupy exchange that harks back to a 1950s innocence. The production also seems too slack and lackadaisical for today's hyped-up teen market. Even the reggaeton-styled "Wanna Play" could use a shot of adrenaline.

But don't fret for RBD. Its new Spanish-language album, "Celestial" (EMI Televisa), is already a smash almost anywhere homes get TV signals and Spanish is spoken.

There is something subtly Mexican about "Celestial," a style and essence missing from its English counterpart. When these harmless rebels are presented in their own element and language, you can see how kids relate to them. And how Mexico has its future stars prepackaged when this crop grows up and goes solo.