Pelabas comes from the verb pelar, which literally means "to peel" or "to skin." However, in Mexican slang, especially in informal contexts, "no pelar a alguien" means "to ignore someone" or "not to pay attention to someone."
In the song, the lyric "pero tú nunca me pelabas" perfectly captures the feeling of unrequited attention. The singer is expressing that, despite his efforts, the person he was interested in never gave him the time of day, making it a relatable and engaging word choice for learners.
Have you ever had a crush who totally ignored you, only to come crawling back once you started shining? That's exactly what Grupo Marca Registrada is singing about in "Eres Mi Crush"! The singer remembers a time when he was really into someone, saying, "Hace tiempo estaba tras de ti, pero tú nunca me pelabas" [A while ago I was after you, but you never paid attention to me]. He even tried sliding into their DMs, but his messages were ignored. Ouch!
But oh, how the tables have turned! Now that he's doing well and getting attention, the person who once ignored him is suddenly interested, sending him friend requests and asking about him. He's a bit cheeky about it, suggesting a quick hook-up: "Nos miramos un ratito y después nos decimos adiós" [We see each other for a bit and then we say goodbye]. It's a fun, slightly sassy take on getting the last laugh after being overlooked!
Grupo Marca Registrada built itself around Fidel Castro, the Culiacán singer, songwriter and accordionist who started the group in 2013, with Luis Fernando Medina on drums, Fidel Jiménez on bass and Ángel Móndragon on guitar and backing vocals. They came up playing Pacific norteño and corridos, then started sliding dance and electronic production in under the accordion, so the records land somewhere between a Sinaloa cantina and a club.
"Di Que Sí", their 2023 duet with Grupo Frontera written by Edgar Barrera, went to number one on Billboard's Regional Mexican Airplay chart and gave them their first Hot 100 entry at number 89. The album Don't Stop the Magic followed that May and reached number 187 on the Billboard 200. "El Rescate" with Junior H had already spent seven weeks on the Global 200, and in 2024 they got Julieta Venegas to recut her 2003 song "Andar Conmigo" as a norteño duet with Castro.