10 Top Songs From Encanto

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Top Songs From Encanto

Songs from Encanto like “We Don’t Talk About Bruno” were such instant hits that they were recognizable whether or not you saw the movie. Encanto’s soundtrack features songs written by Lin-Manuel Miranda (Hamilton, Moana) and music scored by Germaine Franco (Coco).

Read on as we take a closer look at the 10 top songs from Encanto.

“Surface Pressure” by Jessica Darrow

Song Year: 2021

The third number in Encanto’s soundtrack, “Surface Pressure,” shares the perspective of Luisa Madrigal, Mirabel’s older sister, who has the gift of super strength. The song was an instant favorite among Disney fans, sparking numerous covers and TikTok dances across the Internet following Encanto’s Disney+ release.

Unlike the other songs from Encanto’ssoundtrack, “Surface Pressure” was written in the style of Latino reggaeton music. The lyrics discuss the movie’s central theme of family expectations, with Luisa sharing the emotional weight she has to carry as an older/middle child. The song particularly uses analogies like a camel with a broken back, a toppling line of dominoes, and the Titanic.

During the Encanto album’s nine-nonconsecutive-week run on the Billboard 200 charts, “Surface Pressure” peaked at No. 9 on Billboard’s Hot 100. “Surface Pressure,” along with “We Don’t Talk About Bruno,” made Encanto the first-ever Disney animated feature to have multiple songs on Billboard’s Top 10.

Actress Jessica Darrow was excited to voice Luisa, especially considering this was the first role she had ever booked. According to Darrow, songwriter Lin-Manuel Miranda had told her, “You don’t have to worry about sounding perfect: just ride these notes on the song and see where it goes.” Darrow played around with the song and her character to give Luisa as much personality as possible. Suffice to say, it worked.

Though she is featured in later ensemble songs, “Surface Pressure” is Luisa’s only solo number. During the movie, Mirabel has speaking lines in “Surface Pressure,” but these were removed from the official soundtrack.

It may not have been as popular as “We Don’t Talk About Bruno,” but “Surface Pressure is sure to be a favorite karaoke song for years to come.

“We Don’t Talk About Bruno” by Carolina Gaitán, Mauro Castillo, Adassa, Rhenzy Feliz, Diane Guerrero, Stephanie Beatriz, and Cast

Song Year: 2021

The most popular song on the soundtrack, “We Don’t Talk About Bruno,” occurs almost halfway through Encanto’s runtime and tonally shifts the movie into a new direction. Styled after Colombian Cha-cha-chá music, “We Don’t Talk About Bruno” went on to break music records that Frozen’s “Let It Go” couldn’t.

In Encanto, not much was known about the character Bruno before this song outside of knowing we don’t talk about him. Mirabel’s prying sparks a 3 ½ minute musical number that shines a new, eerie light on both Bruno and the rest of the ensemble.

Pepa blamed her poor spirits and anxieties on her wedding day on Bruno. Dolores is madly in love with Isabela’s soon-to-be-fiance, Mariano. Isabela blames her insecurities toward her approaching marriage on Mirabel, just like Pepa did with Bruno. And that’s not even mentioning what happened to Señora Pezmuerto’s fish…

“We Don’t Talk About Bruno” reigned supreme as the top-performing song on the Encanto soundtrack. “We Don’t Talk About Bruno” hit #1 on the Billboard Hot 100, a Disney song achievement shared only by Aladdin’s “A Whole New World.” “Bruno” was also the first Disney song to hit #1 on the Official U.K. Singles Chart.

Following the movie’s release on Disney+, “We Don’t Talk About Bruno” became a massive Internet hit. Countless TikTok videos, memes, and covers of “We Don’t Talk About Bruno” flooded the Internet for months. One particular video, which edited Camilo’s verse to replace nearly every noun with “rats,” was featured at the top of YouTube’s homepage for several weeks.

“We Don’t Talk About Bruno” not only shaped the public’s image of Encanto but even shaped the movie along its development process. According to songwriter Lin-Manuel Miranda, the character Bruno was named as such specifically so they could use the lyrics, “Bruno, no, no.”

“Dos Oruguitas” by Sebastián Yatra

Song Year: 2021

The only slow-paced song in the movie, “Dos Oruguitas,” plays over a flashback of Abuela Alma and Abuelo Pedro’s tragic love story during Encanto’s climax. The song is sung entirely in Spanish. An English version with different lyrics, “Two Oruguitas,” plays during the credits.

“Dos Oruguitas” was the first song Lin-Manuel Miranda ever wrote in Spanish. It was important to Miranda that he writes the song in Spanish first, rather than write it in English and then translate it, citing, “you can always feel translation.”

The lyrics of “Dos Oruguitas” tell the story of two caterpillars that grow into butterflies together before being separated. The song states that growing apart and coming back is the only way forward and that miracles will follow.

The lyrics of “Dos Oruguitas” metaphorically correlate with the flashback we see in the movie. The flashback shows Alma and Pedro meeting, falling in love, giving birth to triplets, and fleeing their home following an attack by unidentified soldiers. As assailants strike down Pedro, the lyrics repeatedly tell the two butterflies not to hold each other anymore.

“Dos Oruguitas” peaked at the 36th spot on Billboard’s Hot 100 and the 2nd spot on the US Hot Latin Songs chart. “Dos Oruguitas” was also a critical success, with many music critics ranking it as the best and most emotional of the songs from Encanto.

“Dos Oruguitas” earned songwriter Lin-Manuel Miranda an Oscar nomination for Best Original Song in 2022. Sebastián Yatra performed “Dos Oruguitas” live during the event. Though “Dos Oruguitas” lost Best Original Song to Billie Eilish’s “No Time to Die,” Encanto still won the Oscar for Best Animated Feature and received another nomination for Best Original Score.

“Dos Oruguitas” went on to receive award nominations from the Golden Globes, the Critics’ Choice Movie Awards, and the Gold Derby Awards. It won Best Song Written and/or Recorded for a Film at the Guild of Music Supervisors Awards.

“What Else Can I Do?” by Diane Guerrero and Stephanie Beatriz

Song Year: 2021

“What Else Can I Do?” is the fifth musical number in Encanto and heavily focuses on Mirabel’s oldest sister, Isabela, who has the gift of growing plants from thin air. Though it was decidedly less popular than Luisa’s solo number “Surface Pressure,” “What Else Can I Do?” is still a stand-out on Encanto’s soundtrack.

The song is a duet between Diane Guerrero (Isabela) and Stephanie Beatriz (Mirabel), though Guerrero leads the melody. According to songwriter Lin-Manuel Miranda, “What Else Can I Do?” is inspired by 90s Colombian music. The song is very uptempo and “Shakira-esque.”

The lyrics of “What Else Can I Do?” follow Isabela as she realizes she no longer needs to be perfect. The number opens with Isabela creating a cactus, having previously only created flowers her entire life. From jacarandas to flor de mayo, Isabela is soon overwhelmed with joy by what she can create.

Before “What Else Can I Do?,” Isabela and Mirabel’s relationship was visibly horrible. Fortunately, this musical number about acknowledging expectations and not living up to perfection mended the sisters’ relationship. “What Else Can I Do?” represents a tonal shift for Isabela, with her wardrobe even being noticeably different for the rest of the movie.

“The Family Madrigal” by Stephanie Beatriz, Olga Merediz, and Cast

Song Year: 2021

Written in a Vallenato musical style with a rap outro, “The Family Madrigal” is the opening musical number of Encanto. The song is very similar to “Belle” from Beauty and the Beast, featuring the protagonist singing almost all the exposition we’ll need to know while traveling past the town’s ensemble.

The lyrics of “The Family Madrigal” are pretty straightforward. Most of the song features Mirabel going down the list of Madrigal family members and explaining their gifts. Other characters like Abuela and the townsfolk jump in throughout the number. “The Family Madrigal” ends with the only piece of information Mirabel refused to share: Mirabel never got a gift.

Eagle-eyed Disney fans were quick to spot one possible goof in “The Family Madrigal.” The musical number abruptly ends with Abuela shouting, “Mirabel!” and asking what she’s doing. Mirabel is struck like a deer in headlights around the children she was just singing to. However, Abuela had been part of this exact musical number less than two minutes prior. Both Abuela’s question and Mirabel’s response felt odd to some audience members.

“The Family Madrigal” reached No. 20 on Billboard’s Hot 100 in the United States. The song also reached No. 7 on the UK Singles Chart and No. 18 on the Irish Singles Chart. Critics particularly praised “The Family Madrigal” for its pep and ability to tell exposition in a catchy way.

“Waiting On a Miracle” by Stephanie Beatriz

“Waiting On a Miracle” by Stephanie Beatriz

Song Year: 2021

“Waiting on a Miracle” is the second song in Encanto and Stephanie Beatriz’s (Mirabel’s) only solo number. According to songwriter Lin-Manuel Miranda, “Waiting on a Miracle” was heavily inspired by traditional Colombian waltz music. Whereas the other songs on the Encanto soundtrack typically stuck to a 4-count beat, “Waiting on a Miracle” followed a 3-count Bambuco beat instead.

The lyrics of “Waiting on a Miracle” share some of Mirabel’s deepest insecurities. The song opens with Mirabel insisting she’s “fine” before accepting that she’s really not fine. Mirabel not having gifts has made her feel inadequate around the rest of her family. She’s alone and only ever feels like she’s waiting on something that will never come.

By the end of “Waiting on a Miracle,” Mirabel gets sick of waiting and begins demanding a miracle instead. This song pushes Mirabel on her journey for the rest of the movie. Though the song is about “waiting,” it’s ultimately about Mirabel learning to stop waiting and take action instead.

You can truly hear the pain in Mirabel’s voice in “Waiting on a Miracle,” but this isn’t just a credit to Stephanie Beatriz’s acting. Months after Encanto was released, Beatriz revealed that she was actually in labor at the time of recording the song. She had endured numerous contractions but intentionally didn’t tell Disney, wanting to finish recording the song first. Beatriz’s daughter, Rosaline, was born the next day.

“Colombia, Mi Encanto” by Carlos Vives

Song Year: 2021

“Colombia, Mi Encanto” is featured twice throughout Encanto’s runtime. The song is briefly heard at Antonio’s gift ceremony, then heard again at the very end of the movie, leading into the credits. “Colombia, Mi Encanto” was also used in Encanto’s teaser trailer, making it the first Encanto song to have been introduced to audiences.

Lin-Manuel Miranda wrote “Colombia, Mi Encanto” as a love letter to Colombia. Entirely in Spanish, the lyrics praise the enchanting feeling of Colombia. The song describes Colombia as a place full of parties, love, and people coming together.

Encanto’s directors spent a great amount of time deciding where in Latin America to set the movie before deciding on Colombia. The determining factors were Colombia’s magical myths, traditions, and variety of cultures. “Colombia, Mi Encanto” proves they made the right decision.

“Colombia, Mi Encanto” was performed by Colombian singer/songwriter Carlos Vives. Vives had a prominent, Grammy-winning music career before performing the song for Encanto. His most popular songs include “La Bicicleta” and “Cumbiana.”

“All Of You” by Stephanie Beatriz, Olga Merediz, John Leguizamo, Adassa, Maluma, Diane Guerrero, Carolina Gaitán, Mauro Castillo, Rhenzy Feliz, and Cast

Song Year: 2021

“All Of You” is the final ensemble musical number of Encanto. The song brings together almost the entire cast of the movie. It also combines melodies from previous songs in the movie, including “The Family Madrigal,” “We Don’t Talk About Bruno,” “What Else Can I Do?,” and “Surface Pressure.” “All of You” peaked at No. 71 on Billboard’s Hot 100.

“All Of You” covers more plot than any other song in the movie. When “All Of You” opens, the Madrigal house is in rubble, and some family members are no longer on speaking terms. Mirabel (Stephanie Beatriz) takes the lead at the beginning, sharing that the family members are more than the expectations placed on them by their gifts.

Abuela Alma (Olga Merediz) takes the metaphorical microphone next, finally apologizing to her family for the pressure she put on them. From here, Bruno is reunited with the family, the townfolk help rebuild the Madrigal home, Dolores gets her ice-breaker with Mariano, and Mirabel finally receives her own door: the front door.

“All Of You” is the only song in Encanto that Bruno (John Leguizamo) sings in. Humorously, one of Bruno’s lines includes “let it snow” and “let it go,” a direct reference to the hit song from Frozen. Bruno’s verse in “All of You” was written in a rap style. This is because songwriter Lin-Manuel Miranda, who mostly only sings rap, wanted to voice Bruno himself before the role was offered to Leguizamo.

“Two Oruguitas” by Sebastian Yatra

Song Year: 2021

Playing over the credits of the movie, “Two Oruguitas” is the English version of “Dos Oruguitas,” but with new lyrics. Instrumentally, “Two Oruguitas” is nearly identical to “Dos Oruguitas.” Sebastián Yatra notably performs both versions of the song.

In essence, the lyrics of “Two Oruguitas” say the same thing as “Dos Oruguitas,” just in different phrasing. For example, whereas the final verses of “Dos Oruguitas” sing about “miracles” and “your own future,” “Two Oruguitas” sings about “change” and “tomorrow.”

“Two Oruguitas” isn’t a complete English translation, as a couple of Spanish words from the original song were kept in the English version. These words include “oruguitas” (caterpillars) and “mariposas” (butterflies).

“La Cumbia De Mirabel” by Germaine Franco and Christian Camilo Peña

Song Year: 2021

“La Cumbia De Mirabel” is the last song among Encanto’s score created by Germaine Franco,  Coco co-composer. A “cumbia” is a distinct type of rhythm and folk dance that originated in Colombia, rooted in American-Indian, African, and Spanish cultures.

Of all the songs from Encanto’s score, “La Cumbia De Mirabel” is one of the best. Many songs from movie scores flow strangely, having been written for the movie’s specific juxtaposition and editing. If you don’t know what part of the movie the song is from, the music often sounds jarring and hard to listen to.

“La Cumbia De Mirabel” is one of many Encanto songs that does not have this problem. The music is paced at a medium tempo and is very easy to sway to.

Germaine Franco was brought onto the Encanto team in September 2021, only a few months before the movie’s release. Like Miranda, Franco took inspiration from Latin music styles such as salsa, cumbia, and vallenato. Germaine Franco went on to receive an Oscar nomination for Best Original Score for Encanto.

Best Songs From Encanto, Final Thoughts

Those are the top songs from the Encanto soundtrack. There are dozens of more instrumental tracks on the official soundtrack by both Germaine Franco and Lin-Manuel Miranda that are worth diving your ears into.

Encanto’s soundtrack is a mix of music, languages, emotions, and culture. The music drove Encanto forward, and it’s safe to say the movie would not have been the hit it was if not for songs like “We Don’t Talk About Bruno.”

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