RATA, the pop punk project formed by Daniel Sabater and Félix Esteban, is situated right on the sweet line that unites the aggressiveness and impulsiveness of rock with the melodies of a good pop song. In ‘HARD GUYS’, the Song of the Day, Sabater and Esteban defend that “there is nothing harder than being a softie.”
While we have known the name of Félix Esteban, bass and vocals, thanks to RATA, some may be familiar with Daniel Sabater, known for joining the wave of indie bedroom pop in the early 2020s. In RATA, he plays drums and acts as producer alongside Esteban. Although he has millions of listens to his solo singles, RATA’s monthly listeners have already surpassed his. Reinvention is real.
‘I NEVER WANT TO DIE’, RATA’s debut, is full of anthems like ‘TIPOS DUROS’, which, together with a conceptual section focused on returning us to childhood, manages to convey pure nostalgia. The song begins with Félix listing, practically shouting, all those things that a supposed tough guy would never talk about: “A hug, my friends, starting over / Summer, my nephew, a cigarette that will never end.”
After naming “the songs that I write for you” and those that “you will never hear,” the singer confesses what is most difficult for him to say: “I love you so much.” And that’s exactly what makes him a tough guy. In ‘I WANT TO BE ME WHEN I OLD UP’, Esteban swears that “RAT will never be fashionable.” With songs like this, it’s a matter of time.
