[10] In the mid-1990s, she adopted a more dance and electronic style for her next two albums, El Tiempo Es Oro (1995) and Planeta Paulina (1996), and made her feature film debut with a starring role in Bésame en la Boca (1995).

Following a series of concerts with Timbiriche and ending her contract with EMI Latin, Rubio's career was interrupted before the release of her fifth studio album—and her first with Universal Latino—the homonym Paulina (2000), which is critically referred to as one of her best albums to date.

[26] Rubio began her singing career as a 9-year-old, when the children's band Timbiriche made its official debut on 30 April 1982 on the Mexican television show Siempre en Domingo, featuring Spanish singer Miguel Bosé as its "artistic godfather".

It was certified gold[33] and spawned several hit singles, including "Soy un Desastre", "Corro, Vuelo, Me Acelero", "Teléfono" and "Me Plantó", which established the group as a viable act in the music industry.

[36] The album sold 500,000 copies,[37] and the number-one hit, "Tú Y Yo Somos Uno Mismo", appears in the number two position on the list of the "100 Greatest Songs of the 80's in Spanish", count realized by VH1.

[43] The success of Baila Conmigo gave the protagonists the possibility of recording a special album and received 9 nominations for the 1993 TVyNovelas Awards, including "Actress Revelation" for Rubio.

Rubio embarked recording studio sessions in Spain in fall 1991 to early 1992 with the Spanish producer Miguel Blasco and the songwriters José Ramón Flórez and Cesar Valle; The last two began writing songs together.

[46] Rubio made her first television appearance performing on the legendary TV show Siempre en Domingo with Raúl Velasco to publicize his new stage in the music industry.

She formed part of the invited judging panel of Viña del Mar International Song Festival and made a short performance, for which she received the Naranja Award.

Rubio played Claudia Romero, a rich young girl who dies in an accident while riding her motorcycle, and is later returned to Earth, but in other body, to make amends for her mistakes.

The album didn't matched the commercial success of its predecessors, despite it produced four singles: "Siempre Tuya Desde La Raíz", "Solo Por Ti", "Miedo" and "Enamorada".

[74] In February 2000, Rubio performed her first single released by Universal Music, "Lo Haré Por Ti", at the Viña del Mar International Song Festival in Chile.

The music video for "Lo Haré Por Ti" featured a new-Paulina in revealing bikinis and mini skirts, and a hat cowgirl-style which came to be regarded as a mark of style her own.

She assumed the total creative control, unlike their first three albums with EMI Music,[78] and collaborated with Colombian singer-songwriter and record producer Estéfano to create a "synthesis of the end of the millennium" in a sound that blend through such genres as pop, ranchera, dance, rock, hip-hop, bolero, house and jazz.

The "futuristic folklore" record included contributions from Emilio Estefan, Chris Rodríguez, Sergio George, Gaitanes, Marco Antonio Solís, Coti, Jorge Villamizar, Los Tetas, and Reyli.

Sarah Bardeen from Rapsody felt that Pau-Latina is "brilliant" specially for "Rubio incorporates elements of rap, reggaeton, flamenco and ranchera while maintaining her own consistently feathery pop sensibility"[102] while Matt Cibula from PopMatters included it in her list of the "best however-many-it-ends-up-being albums of 2004.

After her relationship with José María Torre ended in early 2005, just a few months after, Rubio began dating her future husband Spanish entrepreneur Nicolás "Colate" Vallejo-Nájera.

However, Universal Music Latino later declined to continue promotion of the song to radio outlets, as a result it was unable to chart; instead released a remixes series by Junior Caldera and Juan Magán to impact the EDM market.

[172] Although "Mi Nuevo Vicio" was her comeback single, and was a success in Latin America, it took Universal Music to give the green light to the singer's eleventh studio album.

Rubio's legal battle with "Collate" continued in June 2015, when he sued her for non-payment of three months of maintenance, which would break the divorce regulatory agreement they reached in the Miami courts.

After releasing her promotional single "Si Supieran", several media announced that Rubio and his 20-year-old record label, Universal Music, had signed a mutual employment termination agreement.

But that was not the only controversy that accompanied "Si Supieran", the song was a response to what her former partners, Nicolás "Colate" Vallejo-Nájera and Gerado Bazúa, talked about her in the media; evidencing that both conspired to tarnish Rubio's public image.

The Spanish journalist Igor Cubillo by El País wrote that her music is a "fresh formula" in cohesion to "well exploited physical attractiveness, to her exaltation of feminine pride and the aforementioned Latin fashion" that made her a pop star that all the girls "want to look like her".

In September 2021, Hard Rock & Casino Hotel Punta Cana in Dominican Republic unveiled its exhibition of celebrity items, in which it includes a characteristic Rubio costume.

[218] During that time, the media also called her "Madonna Latina"[250][251] especially in United States and Mexico, due to the great similarity of her music videos and provocative shows with the American artist.

In 2014, while serving as a coach on the third season of The X Factor, the Fox television network cemented her title as "Queen of Latino Pop" referring to her as "the Mexican superstar who has sold millions of records, she's spicy.

[269] In October 2013, Rubio designed and launched an exclusive line of "sensual, modern and casual" maxi bags, heels, high boots and booties in collaboration with JustFab.

[286] On 3 December 2009, Paulina held a press conference announcing the creation of an organization in partnership with the Lili Claire Foundation to provide assistance to children living with neurological disorders and their families.

[287] Fundación Paulina Rubio is a project inspired by children in anguish as a result of homelessness, birth defects, and lack of education among other pernicious plights that many face today.

[288] In 2010, Rubio hosted the Paulina & Friends exclusive benefit concert for The Lili Claire Foundation which showcased musicians such as Luis Fonsi, Aleks Syntek, Noel Schajris, Reik and Fanny Lú.