Choosing to Stay Without Losing Yourself in “riendas” by TERE

Photo by Zteph Gordon

TERE wrote “riendas” in the summer of 2024, as she and her college boyfriend began a long-distance relationship. At its heart, the song explores what happens when someone used to running away meets a person she genuinely wants to stay with.

The Venezuelan singer-songwriter casts herself as a wild mare who meets someone capable of keeping up with her. The image could suggest a loss of independence, but for TERE, the reins remain in her own hands. No one is holding her back; staying is her decision.

“I’ve always had an impulsive and rebellious side: I jump before I think and then get scared once I’m in the middle of it. ‘riendas’ is about finding someone who made me want to stay instead of run,” the artist explains. The song also reflects her decision to hold on to a relationship that the people closest to her do not fully understand.

Photo by Zteph Gordon

Live guitars and electronic drums give the track a steady pulse, while TERE’s warm delivery keeps it gentle and intimate. The second verse picks up the pace, adding a playful lift to its familiar pop sound.

Raised between Caracas and Los Angeles and now based in Miami, TERE draws from personal experience and moves easily between Spanish and English. In “riendas,” the fear of losing your freedom when you fall in love becomes a decision to stay on your own terms, set against the melodic feel of the Latin pop that defined the first decade of the 2000s.

Follow TERE on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube for new music and upcoming releases, and explore more of her work on her website.