La Chica Dorada

In the 1980s, Rubio established herself as one of the prominent members of the Mexican pop group Timbiriche. She recorded eleven albums overall, of which seven were certified platinum and four were certified gold.[7] When she decided to leave the group In 1990, she try to set up her solo music career. Meanwhile, Rubio traveled to Europe to study History of Art. Upon her return to Mexico she spoke with her mother, the actress Susana Dosamantes, to support her in financing her first debut album. Rubio traveled to Madrid, Spain in September 1991 to meet up with the 80's and 90's hit-makers producers Miguel Blasco—who began to guide her to establish her solo project—and José Ramón Flórez, and search record labels for a contract. While Rubio recording some songs for her debut solo studio album, she anticipated want to show "fresh music for a very broad market.", and also announced she would film her second telenovela in Mexico, Baila Conmigo.[8]

In mid-1991, Rubio begun to work with Miguel Blasco, and the well-known producers and songwriters, includes Gian Pietro Felisatti (better known as "DiFelisatti") and Cesar Valle, had a good relationship with Rubio, since both writers were responsible for great successes of the band Timbiriche. Added to the above, the Mexican singer and songwriter Aleks Syntek as well was composer for the album. The album was primarily recorded at Balu-Balu Estudios in Madrid, Spain.

In June 1992, Paulina Rubio officially signed a contract with the EMI Capitol label in Mexico[9] and the song "La Chica Dorada" was released on airplay radio in Mexico exclusively to publicize her solo project. The song describes the moments Rubio lived in Spain while studying Art History and dreamed of becoming a Latin pop star.

La Chica Dorada is primarily a pop and dance-pop record,[10] incorporated new wave music, new jack swing and pop rock styles. Also, it included a couple of ballads. The album's texture has been described as "light." The album opens with "Mío", a "dancefloor thumper"[11] song includes a flamboyant saxophone insert on the bridge and ends with electric guitar riffs. It contains a soul chorus and new wave influences. Lyrically, it "reflected the anxiety of owning everything."[12] The synth arrangements "Dime Si Soy Sexy" notes a girl who is desired by men because of her prominent beauty through a squeaky funny saxophone. "Sabor A Miel" is a sentimental track, talking about a lost love. The romantic ballad song incorporates a waltzing tempo and refined violins. Rubio has cited it as the most personal song on the album.

Written by Aleks Syntek, the guitars-crying style-old West, "El Primer Amor", describing what Rubio is prepared to do for her inexperienced lover, if this one wanna be her first love. The secuence pop-rock style, "Amor De Mujer" describe the feelings and mood of a woman in love. It is considered Rubio's first feminist anthem. It starts with a sequence of hurried keyboards and continues with a rhythm of drums and electric guitars. The beats of both live and programmed drums song "La Escoba" is a studio-live track with audience clapping and whistles[13] originally sung by the Spanish rock group Los Sírex.

Beginning with a guitars riffs introduction, the album title track "La Chica Dorada" is a doo-wop-oriented song. It has harmonies beneath the main chorus, resembles the songs of early Sixties girl groups. The lyrics narrate Rubio's long and winding road to stardom to become "The Golden Girl". The emotional ballad[13] "Abriendo Las Puertas Al Amor" explores Rubio vocal range with a chorus vocal harmonies. It starts like a piano ballad and culminates with light touches of drums. In the new jack swing cut "Sangre Latina", the singer raps[13] narrating a surreal idyll about a walk she takes through various Mexico city locations looking beautiful, capturing the glances and attention of the men, and citing among them renowned cultural figures such as Juan Gabriel, Pancho Villa and Hernán Cortés. The album closes with its tenth track "Amarte En Libertad", a pop-rock[13] with new jack swing and new wave influences.

The promotion began in July 1992, when Rubio conducted a small advertising campaign by several Mexican media outlets, where she presented her new image as "golden girl" and promoted the song "La Chica Dorada" on some radio stations. The singer made several promotional appearances, including talk shows and live performances in the main cities of Mexico. Paulina Rubio made her debut as a solo singer on the legendary Mexican television program Siempre en Domingo, with Raúl Velasco on October 18, 1992,[14] 3 days before her album was released. With her mother and grandmother in the audience, she performed the song "Amor De Mujer" and her first single, "Mío". Rubio's wearing a gold, glitter mini skirt, cropped top and jacket, while a straight out of a rotating device to begin her performing.[15] The famous television host commented that "it was a great privilege to have presented Paulina as a solo singer". Her presentation had a high audience rating that the next week she was invited again.[16] In United States, for the Spanish-language television program Sábado Gigante, Rubio performed the track "Mío" in January, 1993 and that presentation opened the doors to the Hispanic market in that country.[17] She also appeared on the 1993 Calle Ocho Festival of Miami where performing "Abriendo Las Puertas Al Amor".

Rubio comeback to Mexico in March 1993 to performed at the Premios ERES where performed "Mío Extended Pop Mix", and also performed "Amor De Mujer The Wedding Dance Mix" in a medley with "Mío" at the 11th TVyNovelas Awards. She received the Female Singer Revelation of the Year award in that ceremony.

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic	[19]
Apple Music	favourable[20]

La Chica Dorada had received mixed reviews from music critics. AllMusic rateit three of five stars, giving it a mixed review and considering the album energetic, exuberant, passionate and intense in the same way Rubio's aesthetic image and personality.[19] Due to the success of "Mío", in Mexico the journalists considered her solo debut as the new "Latin pop icon" and a great business for her label EMI/Capitol Latin.[21] In a retrospect review, Apple Music considers "is an album with a risky musical proposal that transcends".[22]

El País newspaper's Elena Reina wrote in an article that "[Rubio] turn from adolescence to the age of majority to hit new record. If her image had already been important to her career as a child, now [with her debut] it becomes crucial", ultimately concluding that the album was her passage from girl to woman.[23] Catalan music critic and journalist Jordi Bianciotto categorized La Chica Dorada as "a light and danceable pop record" and expressed his "disconcerting version" of "La Escoba", which was originally sung by the Spanish rock group Los Sírex. Similarly to most critics, he highlighted Rubio's commercial success with her debut.[10]

La Chica Dorada debuted on the USA Latin Pop Albums Chart in January 1993. In its eighth week, it peaked at number two and stayed there for two consecutive weeks.[24] Rubio became the first Mexican female artist to have a success album with her debut as solo artist on Billboard charts; in doing so, She was also the first member of Timbiriche who managed to enter those lists. The album also peaked at number 42 on the Top Latin Albums chart where it stayed on the charts for 3 weeks.

In Mexico, the album had sold over 450,000 copies.[25]

The following people contributed to La Chica Dorada:[30]

• Paulina Rubio – lead vocals, backing vocals, main performer, songwriter

Additional personnel

• Miguel Blasco – music director, executive producer
• Luis Méndez – A&E
• Remy Causse – arrangements
• J.R. Florez – record producer, composer
• Cesar Valle – composer
• Gian Pietro Felisatti – composer
• Aleks Syntek – composer
• José Antonio Álvarez Alija – engineering
• Carlos Latapí L – photography

• 1990s in music
• 1992 in Latin music
• Honorific nicknames in popular music

• La Chica Dorada at Discogs (list of releases)