"Sálvame" is a song recorded by Mexicanpop group RBD. It was released as the third single from their debut album, Rebelde (2004). It became a number one hit all over Ibero-America, becoming their third consecutive number-one single in Mexico. Anahí sings the lead vocals while the rest of the band sing on the chorus. The song became a phenomenon of its own, loved by fans across the globe and widely regarded as the group's signature anthem.[1] Its Portuguese and English versions were released alongside their albums in 2005 and 2006, respectively.
Background
In mid-2004, Televisa began production on the teen-oriented telenovela Rebelde, and its main young actors Anahí, Alfonso Herrera, Dulce María, Christopher von Uckermann, Maite Perroni, and Christian Chávez were put together by the show's producers to form the band RBD. The song was used extensively throughout the show, mostly during scenes featuring a tearful "Mía" (played by Anahí). Their album was recorded in two days, and released on 30 November 2004, to positive reviews and commercial success, reaching the number one spot on Mexican charts.[2]
Release
Preceded by "Rebelde" and "Solo Quédate En Silencio", "Sálvame" was released on 15 March 2005, as the album's third single. In Brazil, the song was released along with "Solo Quédate En Silencio", on a double A-Side single. The band recorded a Portuguese version of their debut album following immense success in Brazil, and the song's version in the language was also released as a single in the country, under the title "Salva-me".[3]
The song's sequel, "Algún Día", was recorded and sung solely by Anahí in 2006, and is featured on RBD's third Spanish studio album, Celestial. The English version, "Save Me", was recorded and featured on RBD's English studio album, Rebels, also from 2006, with a different instrumental.[4] Anahí was the main singer on the two new versions as she was on the original Spanish version. "Sálvame" is the group's only solo song to be recorded in all three languages.
Composition and lyrics
"Sálvame" is a Latin popballad that lasts 3 minutes and 43 seconds. It was written by DJ Kafka and Max di Carlo, and produced by the latter alongside Armando Ávila and Carlos Lara. The lyrics find Anahí in a depressed state since her lover left her. In the first verse, she sings "Vivo en la desesperanza" ("I live in hopelessness"), while in the refrain she states she "survives from pure anxiety" ("Sobrevivo por pura ansiedad"). In the pre-chorus, the singer says that "little by little the heart, is losing faith" ("Poco a poco el corazón, va perdiendo la fe"). In the second verse, Anahí reveals that despite her attempts to move on, "...love is the word, that is sometimes hard for [her] to forget" ("...amor es la palabra, que me cuesta a veces olvidar"). During the chorus, she pleads for her ex-partner to save her from "loneliness" and "darkness". The band echoes this sentiment, stating: "Save me from oblivion" and "weariness" ("Sálvame del olvido", "Sálvame del hastío").[5]
Music video
The music video was the group's third to have been directed by Pedro Damián. It was shot in Canada while the band and young cast of the telenovela were in the country during filming of Rebelde. The band perform on the snow, playing instruments, like drums and guitars, with Anahí singing the song, while their castmates skate in the background. Behind the scenes footage was also used in the video.[6]
Following the relaunch of RBD's music in 2020, "Sálvame" became their most-viewed video on YouTube, reaching 100 million views. It has earned an additional 19 million views as of September 2023.
