In this post, we list 8 of the main Encanto songs that brought this animated film to life. With a variety of Colombian rhythms and influences, the songs amplify the many beauties and magic seen in the film.
How many Encanto songs are there?
The Encanto soundtrack features 8 main songs along with other instrumental scores.
The Encanto songs, in order of their appearance in the film, are “The Family Madrigal”, “Waiting on a Miracle”, “Surface Pressure”, “We Don’t Talk About Bruno”, “What Else Can I Do?”, “Colombia, Mi Encanto”, “Dos Oruguitas”, and “All of You.”
1. “The Family Madrigal”
“The Family Madrigal” is the introduction song from the film Encanto.
It introduces Mirabel’s family members as well as each of their magical powers except for her. She tries her best to avoid answering the question when kids of the village ask her what her magical powers are. The miracle’s inexplicable decision to not grant Mirabel a power when it was her time to receive one still gnaws at her.
What are the magical powers of the characters in Encanto?
Alma – The first miracle of the miraculous candle grants Abuela Alma the gift of safety, and her entire family is blessed with powers of all kind and intensity. It’s also thanks to her that the Casita and the village exists.
Isabela – Mirabel’s eldest sister, can create an endless amount of flowers with nothing but a gesture.
Dolores – She has super-hearing which makes it difficult for her to ever keep a secret.
Luisa – Blessed with super-strength, Mirabel’s older sister, shoulders a lot of responsibility.
Julieta – Mirabel’s mom, has the ability to heal anyone with her fabulous food.
Pepa – Her gift allows her to control the weather, though it’s connected to her emotional state.
Camilo – He has the power to change his shape, which he most often uses to mimic those around him.
Antonio – The youngest member of the Madrigal family, is granted the ability to communicate with animals.
Bruno – He’s blessed with the power to see the future, however, he’s treated more like someone under a curse than an important seer.
Mirabel – She seemingly doesn’t have any powers at all, but she’s really the most important member of the whole Madrigal family. She enables the rest of her family to thrive. Without Mirable no one else would have access to their miracle as evidenced when she began to lose faith in herself. While Alma may bring the first miracle, it is Mirabel who saves it, and cements it as an expression of love. There’s no greater power than that.
Get Lyrics: Stephanie Beatriz – “The Family Madrigal”
Stream: Stephanie Beatriz – “The Family Madrigal”
2. “Waiting on a Miracle”
“Waiting on a Miracle” has the musical style of the Colombian Bambuco. The song symbolizes the disconnect between Mirabel and the rest of her family.
In the song, Mirabel laments how all of her family members have magical abilities, but she doesn’t – at first, she tries to pretend that she’s okay with being less special. She was so happy to be a part of her family because even though she didn’t have powers of her own, she was proud of her family’s powers until it hit her that they didn’t see her as family. She just wanted to make her family proud even though she doesn’t have a gift and just want their approval and she tried so hard. But eventually she dropped the act and decided instead to plead for another chance at getting a magical power of her own.
Get Lyrics: Stephanie Beatriz – “Waiting on a Miracle”
Stream: Stephanie Beatriz – “Waiting on a Miracle”
3. “Surface Pressure”
“Surface Pressure” is Luisa’s solo. Luisa is Mirabel’s sister, and her magical ability is that she has superhuman strength. However, as she says in this song, her strength still has its limits, as she has an emotional breakdown.
The song captures everything from her being a strong yet very feminine character, to the weight of expectation that her family and friends unknowingly put on her. Even if a family doesn’t mean to, there is always going to be a child who for some reason, has more expected of them.
This reggaeton song written and produced by Lin-Manuel Miranda added a depth to the character with her sense of responsibility, as stated by co-writer and director Jared Bush. Kristy Puchko of Mashable found Luisa to be a “dazzling vision of feminine strength” because of her physical abilities, countering that the song “makes her messier, more complicated, more real, and thereby a terrific representation of what it means to be a big sister.
Get Lyrics: Jessica Darrow – “Surface Pressure”
Stream: Jessica Darrow – “Surface Pressure”
4. “We Don’t Talk About Bruno”
This Colombian Cha-Cha-style song includes the Madrigal Family warning Mirabel not to mention her uncle Bruno, who has the gift of telling a prophecy.
Since his troubling prophecies come true, he is the mysterious outcast of the family. Throughout the song, Mirabelle’s family and neighbors explain why they exiled her long-lost uncle. Each character recalls disastrous prophecies that Bruno foretold, from getting married in a hurricane to losing all their hair. In the end, all of the verses are sung over each other, with the characters’ voices and stories coming together in unified chaos
One of the three directors of the film Byron Howard mentioned that “[Bruno] was a delicious character” to play with – a fortune-telling uncle, who becomes the black sheep of the Madrigal family when his ominous premonitions come true, eventually ostracized from the local community.
Get Lyrics: Encato Cast – “We Don’t Talk About Bruno”
Stream: “We Don’t Talk About Bruno”
5. “What Else Can I Do?”
“What Else Can I Do?” features Mirabel and her sister Isabela, whose magical power is summoning flowers and plants and overall being graceful (which leads Mirabel and other family members to consider her “effortlessly perfect”).
As a result, Isabela for the first time ever brings forth a cactus as opposed to a flower. Cacti of course are not as aesthetically-appealing as flowers are. So as implied in the first verse Isabela is torn between keeping or discarding the plant.
She views that it is not as “symmetrical or perfect” as a flower is but is still “beautiful” nonetheless, on top of being something that was brought forth by her own doing. Isabela realizes that even though she’s been trying to be as perfect as she can, there are other ways she can use her powers to be creative and explore.
Get Lyrics: Diane Guerrero – “What Else Can I Do?” ft. Stephanie Beatriz
Stream: “What Else Can I Do?”
6. “Colombia, Mi Encanto”
“Colombia, Mi Encanto”, is a love letter to Colombia. The Puerto Rican genius Lin Manuel writes the song of this wonderful story, for a Colombian pride, Carlos Vives. The song is also performed in Colombian folk music style, Vallenato.
Colombians pride themselves in being social, easy-going and living life in the moment. Family is also a big deal for Colombians. That’s why traditionally they’ll spend the weekends with relatives, go out for lunch, stroll on the outskirts of the city, or eat dessert or ice cream together.
More importantly, you can’t stay still with Colombian music. This is clearly felt on “Colombia, Mi Encanto” as Carlos Vives has incredible energy. For the artist, it’s yet another example that whatever he touches, turns to gold. The song sounds so good that may some feel that it not only represents Colombia, but all of Latin America.
Get Lyrics: Carlos Vives – “Colombia, Mi Encanto”
Stream: “Colombia, Mi Encanto”
7. “Dos Oruguitas”
One of the few all-Spanish song in Encanto, “Dos Oruguitas” tells the story of two caterpillars growing to become butterflies and find their own future.
In the movie, it represents the story of Mirabel’s grandparents. The English version, “Two Oruguitas”, is played in the end credits.
Producer and songwriter Lin-Manuel Miranda admired Sebastián Yatra’s incredible voice as a well-known Colombian singer. When Sebastián’s manager called him about the opportunity, all he had to hear was “Disney is doing a new movie about Colombia” and he exclaimed, “Yes, yes, yes, say yes!” Miranda also mentioned that “It was important to me that I write it in Spanish, rather than write it in English and translate it, because you can always feel translation”. His goal was to write a Colombian folk song that “felt like it [had] always existed,”
Get Lyrics: Sebastián Yatra – Dos Oruguitas
Stream: Dos Oruguitas
8. “All Of You”
The final song of Encanto brings back musical and literary themes presented through the film, tying them together to form the resolution at the end of this story’s arc.
The Madrigals are left with their home in rubble after a heated argument between Mirabel and Alma and through this song find a way to overcome the tragedy by seeing themselves in a new light. While still singing, the townspeople bring supplies to the family to rebuild their home with Mirabel leading the community, which ends in Mirabel restoring the magic once Casa Madrigal has been rebuilt. Through this song, they find a way to overcome the tragedy and see themselves and each other in a new light.
Get Lyrics: Encanto Cast – “All Of You”
Stream: “All Of You”
Follow the main Encanto cast on Instagram
- Abuela Alma – @MaríaCeciliaBotero
- Mirabel – @StephanieBeatriz
- Bruno – @JohnLeguizamo
- Isabela – @DianeGuerrero
- Dolores – Adassa
- Luisa – @JessicaDarrow
- Julieta – @AngieCepeda
- Pepa – @CarolinaGaitán
- Camilo – @RhenzyFeliz
- Antonio – @RaviCabot-Conyers
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