Encanto has been making waves in the Billboard Hot 100 and trending on several social media platforms. I loved the movie and especially the music, so in honor of Encanto’s music, I am ranking the 8 songs from the Encanto soundtrack.
8. Colombia, Mi Encanto
Technically this song is not sung by any of the characters and is only played in the background and end credits. It is a very fun and upbeat song but all things considered I could skip it and not really notice. It is not crucial for bringing the movie to life so I think it lacks the emotion other songs have.
7. All of You
For a finale song, this one leaves me a bit unimpressed. It ties up all the plot points of the movie and provides resolution but comparing it to Lin Manuel Miranda’s other finales like “Who Lives, Who Dies, Who Tells Your Story,” it doesn’t reach its full potential. The song could have done so much more since the characters are all reunited. However, the nod to “Let It Go” and the piano riff is pretty genius.
6. Waiting on a Miracle
The song did not hook me until the chorus which I feel for an “I want” song, as Miranda dubbed it, is too late. His other “I want” songs, like “How Far I’ll Go” hooked me much faster. The outro is amazing and Stephanie Beatriz packs so much emotion into those lines. I only wish that emotion had been utilized earlier in the song to really convey Mirabel’s inner turmoil.
5. The Family Madrigal
As much as I love this song, it took a few listens for it to get in my head. The chorus isn’t super noteworthy but the way characters are introduced is fun and catchy. In order to fully understand it I had to look up the lyrics, which I feel hinders a song that is crucial to introducing the characters in a musical.
4. What Else Can I do?
Let’s face it, Isabela was a fairly unlikable character until this song explained her behavior. The dynamic between two sisters is perfectly demonstrated through Isabela and Mirabel’s overlapping parts. The song’s upbeat sound perfectly captures Isabela’s excitement to break out of her “perfect” confinement. This song gives much needed depth to Isabela’s character.
3. Surface Pressure
I prefer this song to “What Else Can I Do” because the lyricism and metaphors illustrate the pressures of being the older sister. The song’s fast tempo and intense rhythms demonstrate the emotions Luisa experiences in a way we couldn’t understand otherwise. The desperation in the lyrics as the song reaches its peak shows how important maintaining the family is to Luisa.
2. Dos Oruguitas
This song is so beautiful. It really demonstrates that you don’t have to understand the lyrics to feel the emotion of the song. In the song, music is a universal language. However, I’m still determined to learn all the lyrics in Spanish so I can sing it myself. Sebastián Yatra’s voice provides a soothing but melancholy tone that matches the movie scene (when Abuelo Pedro dies) and is capable of bringing the audience to tears.
1. We Don’t Talk About Bruno
There’s a reason this song is trending on TikTok and giving “Let It Go” a run for its money. It is everything a show stopping musical hit needs to be; catchy and original. The way the different characters sing different themes illustrates their disconnect in understanding Bruno, making their overlapping themes at the end the perfect climax for the song. It advances our understanding of the characters and the Madrigal family dynamics in a complicated and perfect way.