During her lifetime, Jenni Rivera wasn’t just a force in Regional Mexican music — she was one of the genre’s contemporary boundary breakers. From her debut in 1999 to her final bilingual albums in 2011, the Mexican-American icon pushed the male-dominated genre to new places as a female voice, even becoming the best-selling banda singer of all time.
Rivera’s remarkable career was tragically cut short on Dec. 9, 2012,when she died in a plane crash. But even a decade later, her legacy endures, and can also be felt with the women who are emerging in the genre — like her daughter Chiquis, who has followed in her footsteps.
"There's no way that you can sing this type of music, be a woman, and not think of Jenni Rivera," Chiquis tells GRAMMY.com. "The impact that she has makes me proud as another woman in the industry in this genre. And also as her daughter — how I feel proud to say that she was my mom. She broke so many barriers for all women to come. There's never going to be another Jenni, but there are always going to be women who are going to be inspired by her."
Rivera started making waves in the Regional Mexican music genre with her third album, 2000's Que Me Entierren Con La Banda ("Bury Me With the Band"). She solidified her place as banda music's leading lady with the aptly-titled 2005 LP Parrandera, Rebelde y Atrevida (Parrandera, Rebel and Daring), which reflected her rebellious, boundary-pushing spirit. Rivera proudly sang about relationships, sex, and even out-drinking the men at the bar; instead of heartbreak, her songs on breaking up were about resilience and self-love.
"Her music was just raw and very real," Chiquis says. "Everything that she sang, she connected with in some way in her life. What comes from the heart reaches the heart. Even to the end of her career, they criticized her a lot for being a woman in the genre. She never cared. She stood up and said, 'This is who I am and I love myself.' Women feel empowered when they sing to her music, even men [do too]."
Throughout her career, Rivera received four Latin GRAMMY Award nominations. Twelve of her studio albums and posthumous compilations have charted on the all-genre Billboard 200 chart — a rarity for Regional Mexican music artists. She also notched 25 entries on Billboard's Hot Latin Songs chart, with 10 landing in the top 20, including “Inolvidable” and “Ahora Que Estuviste Lejos.”
Ten years after her passing, GRAMMY.com remembers Jenni Rivera with10 essential songs that capture the spirit of her legacy.
"Las Malandrinas," Que Me Entierren Con la Banda (2000)
Rivera first made noise in the banda genre with her girl power anthem "Las Malandrinas." In the rambunctious track, she sang about women drinking, partying and having a good time — even if some viewed it as wicked behavior.
"It's a song that I wrote in honor of my female fans, women who like to party like myself," Rivera once said about the song. "It's the first song that perhaps many of you heard and got to know the voice of Jenni Rivera."
"De Contrabando," Parrandera, Rebelde y Atrevida (2005)
"De Contrabando" is one of the raciest songs in banda music. In the sensual ballad, Rivera sings about sleeping with a man that's already spoken for. It's also one of the songs that showed off Rivera’s vocal range as it fluttered with romantic sensations.
Chiquis remembers that her mother experienced some pushback about recording the song. "My mom was always a very daring woman," she says. "That's the Rebelde y Atrevida type of Jenni. She said, 'I don't care what anyone thinks. This is what I want to sing.'"
"Inolvidable," Mi Vida Loca (2007)
"Inolvidable" is a song that's become Rivera's signature anthem. In the bustling banda track, she sang about her ex-lovers, saying that she was an unforgettable woman in their lives.
Rivera basked in the satisfaction of leaving that impression. The singer dedicated the song to her daughters, saying they had the "Jenni Effect." Chiquis described the "Jenni Effect" as: "It doesn't matter who comes into your life because they're always going to remember you. My mom had that. She touched people and she left an imprint in their lives and their hearts forever, and that's what that song is. She's always going to be here."
"Ahora Que Estuviste Lejos," Jenni (2008)
In "Ahora Que Estuviste Lejos," Rivera counted the ways her life was so much better with her ex-lover out of the picture. Backed by triumphant banda brass, she celebrated being single while lyrically cutting the guy down to size. Chiquis revealed it was inspired by one of Rivera's real-life breakups.
"She was like, 'Know what, now that I know what it is to be single after being with him for so long, I like it,'" Chiquis recalls. "It reminds me of that moment in her life when she found this different side of herself: liberty."
"Chuper Amigos," Jenni (2008)
In true Jenni Rivera fashion, she was ready to party in her boozy banda anthem "Chuper Amigos." She sang about closing down the bar with tequila and her closest friends.
Rivera embraced the looseness of the song with one of the most playful vocal performances in her catalog. The high-energy track was also a popular song during her live shows. "It's a fun song that you hear and no matter what you want to dance," Chiquis says. "The people would go crazy at her concerts. It just puts you into a good mood."
"Ovarios," Jenni: Super Deluxe (2009)
With "Ovarios," Rivera sang about being a woman in charge of her own career. The title in English translates to "ovaries," which she used as a symbol of female strength, in contrast to men who brag about the male anatomy in songs.
Chiquis revealed Rivera also received pushback from recording the swaggering corrido. "[My mom] said, 'I'm going to do whatever I want to do. This is the type of music I listen to. This is the type of music that inspires me and I want other women to feel empowered,’” she recalls. “I think any woman can relate to it and say, 'Hell yeah! I can do it too.'"
"No Llega El Olvido," La Gran Señora (2009)
Rivera embraced mariachi music with "No Llega El Olvido." This time around, she wanted to drink the heartbreak away with an emotional ballad. Rivera dug deep to wring out every lyric that described the post-breakup pain. The track was originally penned by Mexican singer/songwriter Espinoza Paz.
"It's a song my mom interpreted so well," Chiquis says. "It's an anthem. You want to drink and everyone can relate to that song in one way or another. It's crazy to know that it’s one of my mom's most popular songs with it ever being a single."
"Amaneciste Conmigo (Aka Sentirte En Mi Frio)," La Gran Señora (2009)
Rivera embraced ranchera music in "Amaneciste Conmigo (Aka Sentirte En Mi Frio)." In the soaring ballad, she sang about getting caught up in a forbidden romance. The singer powerfully embodied the emotions behind a romance that was withstanding outside criticism.
The song also doubles as an anthem for her fans in LGBTQIA+ community. "She definitely has a huge LGBTQIA+ following and she was very close to them," Chiquis says. "She would enjoy seeing drag queens perform her songs. She would laugh and say, 'Oh my god! The drag queens study me so well.'
Chiquis adds, “I know she would be happy right now to see how many drag queens there are now working and making money off singing her songs and imitating her. I know those are the types of things that made her very proud."
"Basta Ya," Joyas Prestadas (2011)
"Basta Ya" is a classic in Latin music that was penned by Mexican icon Marco Antonio Solís. The song received a pop version and a banda version as part of Rivera’s dual language double album, Joyas Prestadas. Her voice soared as she embodied the message of finding self-love amidst the heartache of a breakup.
Chiquis was the one who told her mom to record the song. "There was a guy that I really liked and he didn't pay attention to me," she says. "I would always ask her to sing it for me because it helped me get through a lot, so that's a very special song for me."
"Misión Cumplida," Misión Cumplida (2022)
This year, Rivera's voice returned with her new single "Misión Cumplida." In the heartfelt banda ballad, Rivera sang about feeling fulfilled by her fans. The song is a part of a posthumous album Misión Cumplida that was released today by her estate.
"With each new release we’re recognizing how much of an icon Jenni Rivera was and continues to be in the eyes and the hearts of her fans," her daughter Jacqie, said in a statement. "What better way to thank them than to give them music to remember her by and continue to help them carry on her legacy."