Not going to lie here, I've become a bit obsessed with this movie's (Encanto) soundtrack. This post will contain SPOILERS, so if you have any intention or interest in watching it on DisneyPlus, then I'd recommend you watch the movie first to save yourself the regret. Before I get into the rankings however, I will give a very brief overview of what Encanto is all about: the main character that this story centers around is Mirabel Madrigal. She comes from a big, intermixed family who resides in the deep mountains of Colombia, several years later after the attack of the Conquistadors.
This movie very much centered around magic, and each member of the Madrigal family has a special gift or "super power", if you will. But what about Mirabel? What's her gift, or why wasn't she given one? Essentially, this is what this movie explores as she tries to save her family from the very magic that starts to crumble and fall apart.
With that explanation out of the way, here's my ranking for each song and why, working my way from number 8 to number 1.
8. All of You- sung by the main cast of the film plus some accompanying vocals that represent the outside community members, this song takes place just after the Madrigal household has fallen to shambles and the magic has faded out. Now don't get me wrong here; the message of the song is very encouraging and I still enjoy different elements of the song's composition. The harmonies are perfectly in tandem, and the way that each character grows and develops definitely leaves you with this very rosy feeling that lets us know that we've reached the exposition. It fits well with the typical Disney formula of story-telling, but that's also why this song is placed so far down; it just feels unrealistic. For a family that's intermixed, and in knowing the very important messages that Encanto encompasses when it comes to the importance of family, we can't overlook how these characters interact with each other in times of conflict and see the very real social consequences that are caused because of this. From my perspective, when trying to understand the cultural family dynamics combined with my innate curiosity in human psychology, there's a lot of blaming that gets tossed around, especially in the scene that happens right before the house crumbles when Mirabel and her Abuela Alma are arguing with each other. This is just one example, but I'll dive more into this "family therapist" type of perspective later in other songs' rankings.
7. Columbia, Mi Encanto- With this song in particular, not only does it become a very festive song that puts you in a good mood, it also just gives a great representation of Colombian culture. If you weren't already aware of this, Lin Manuel Miranda basically titles this one song as his love letter to the country of Colombia. In knowing that, it just makes me feel even more immersed into the film and its cultural beauty, like I'm part of the family as well, or at least, like I've become lucky enough to witness "life as a Madrigal", to put it simply. There's really nothing that I can criticize about this one song... It kind of just sits as an outlier if you will, given its appropriateness to the movie's nod of respect to Colombian culture.
6. Waiting On A Miracle- When looking at this from Disney's earlier history with princess songs, it's hard for me to see this as a song that can easily stand out from the others. Stephanie Beatriz really does give a very heartfelt performance, and the lyrics are something that can't be overlooked. Mirabel's character feels out of place with her family as she's watched them from the sidelines for quite some time, and through singing this song, she comes to terms with the pain she's been hiding deep down inside. It's honestly relatable in some ways for me, so I can't say that my ranking is based solely on lyrics or delivery in Beatriz's performance. Undeniably, it's a beautiful song, but it just feels perfectly in line with what Disney has done in the past. That's all.
5. Dos Oruguitas (translated to "two butterflies")- What can I say about this song that makes it perfect for the heartbreak and pain that Abuela Alma experiences? Part of me does want to rank this song higher because not only is it beautifully sung, but because it fits in so perfectly with the whole sequence of Alma and Pedro's relationship and marriage. I guess it's just the sad undertone that makes this song get ranked right in the center, knowing that Alma had to pick herself up and try to survive after having her husband taken away from her so soon.
4. What Else Can I Do?- The differences in Mirabel and Isabella's personalities honestly make this song so fun and interesting for me. There's this underlying tone of jealousy/envy and misunderstanding on Mirabel's side as she feels like she's never gotten to know her sister before she was given her gift. We can't fault her for how she feels, but I guess this is the one reason why I place this song as my 4th favorite. The dynamic between these two characters is very complex, but outside of that, the lyrics are very memorable and catchy. It's also very sweet when Mirabel's perspective starts to shift midway through the song as Isabella starts to let down her guard, saying that she's "sick of being pretty" and wants something true. Overall, it's a great song.
3. The Family Madrigal- The humor in this song for me lies within the smaller implications of some lyrics, like when Mirabel takes away a coffee cup from a child because of his jittery nature when saying "Just tell us what everyone can do!". Another one that's rather spoken instead of sung is towards the end when the kids keep screaming "Mirabel!" because they know that she's part of the Madrigal family and should be recognized, and yet, Mirabel continues to avoid talking about herself because of her not having a super awesome gift. The amount of energy this song has just makes it very fun, catchy and contagious, and so for that, I'd make this my 3rd favorite song.
2. Surface Pressure- There is honestly so much I could unload when it comes to how much I adore this song, but for starters, can we just appreciate the vocal versatility of Jessica Darrow? The only other time where I've heard a woman sing with such a sultry or masculine tone while also trying to make her feel feminine is when I've listened to any song from Halestorm. Nonetheless, the voice actor for Luisa does a perfect job displaying that vocal contrast in this song. I've listened to "Surface Pressure" multiple times, and while it wasn't clear to me the first time I heard it within the movie, if you listen very closely, you'll notice that there's only a build up in the song's pace from a instrumental perspective. The only time there's a break in that musical tension is when Luisa is placed in a pink version of her safe haven, away from all the stress, pressure and expectations that are placed onto her from her family. It's just little details like that that make me appreciate this song even more.
1. We Don't Talk About Bruno- Every time I listen to this song, I realize that while it's unavoidable to sing about Bruno, I also can't stop talking about Bruno either as a character within this movie. I have to admit that when looking at his character alone and what his magical gift is, he's treated as the black sheep of the family simply because the rest of his family sees his ability of seeing into the future as something to fear, or as something that they struggle to understand and accept. Is Bruno really a burden to the Madrigal family though? If you listen closely enough to Pepa's lines when explaining the events of her marriage to Felix, you might think that she's overreacting to a simple joke that Bruno was trying to make, albeit, it may have been made at the wrong time. There's also a lot of debate and discussion around the tone of Dolores' lines in this song. Is she sympathetic to how Bruno feels, being ostracized by his own family following his disappearance? If I were in her shoes, I'd be more than sympathetic about his situation, living inside the walls of the house and only having rats as his form of entertainment and company. Truly, with the Madrigal family having so many people living together, I feel like Bruno's existence within this family dynamic feels eerily similar to what Mirabel faces in the events of this movie. Both of them share that feeling of not belonging, or thinking that they're not good enough to meet the expectations of their family members, especially that of Abuela Alma's. I honestly could go on and on about certain perspectives that go beyond than what lies on the surface with this movie in particular since there's so much going on. Overall though, this song is a definite favorite for me in more reasons than one!
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