The soundtrack to Disney's Encanto contains eight wonderful songs in total, and here's a list of every song from the movie, ranked from worst to best. Written by Lin-Manuel Miranda, Encanto's songs enchant and delight, each offering something to the film's magical story and lovable characters. From its bold ballads to its more quiet and reflective songs, Encanto's soundtrack vividly sets the mood for this film's heartfelt, animated story, and is certainly one of the factors that have made it so incredibly popular.
Encanto tells the story of Mirabel (Stephanie Beatriz), a young Colombian girl who lives in a magical house also inhabited by the rest of her family, the Madrigals: Abuela Alma, Julieta and Agustín and their three daughters Isabel, Luisa, and Mirabel, and Pepa and Félix and their three children Dolores, Camilo, and Antonio (there's also Bruno, the outcast uncle that Encanto famously doesn't talk about). Each of Encanto's Madrigals has a magical power of some sort, as long as they are born rather than married into the family. However, Mirabel is the only member of her family not to receive power, making her the outsider of Encanto. However, when Casita, the family's enchanted home, is in danger of losing its magic, it's up to Mirabel to save the day and restore her family's powers and save their home.
Much like other musical Disney movies, Encanto's story features a wide variety of songs. Mirabel's journey takes her through many songs about her family and their personal stories. From the diegetic musical numbers to the non-diegetic original songs that play throughout, here are all eight original Disney songs in Encanto, ranked from worst to best.
8. "Waiting On A Miracle"
"Waiting On A Miracle," which questions Encanto, performs a similar function to other Disney songs like Moana's "How Far I'll Go" or Frozen 2's "Into The Unknown." One of the first Encanto songs, "Waiting On A Miracle" is the ballad most Disney musicals offer for their main character to sing about their desires and place in life early on in the film. It's a sweet, sad song in which Mirabel desperately wants to fit into her family. With strong vocals and tinged with a hint of sadness, "Waiting On A Miracle" does a solid job of making Mirabel a sympathetic heroine. However, it's not quite as catchy or as impactful as the other songs in Encanto, hence its placement at the bottom of this list.
7. "The Family Madrigal"
"The Family Madrigal" is the first song in Encanto, and while it may not quite have the weight of later numbers, it's a strong introduction to the world and the entire Madrigal family of Encanto. "The Family Madrigal" is catchy and does a good job introducing each member of the family and the abilities they possess, as not to get the audience confused. The song also balances a solid variety of emotions and sets up Mirabel's character very well, as she acts as the outsider looking in through this song, which is how her character starts out her journey. It's smart from a writing standpoint, and it has a catchy melody to boot.
6. "What Else Can I Do?"
Isabela (Diane Guerrero)'s ballad about breaking free of her need to be perfect is a strong number in Encanto and serves as a great moment of development for Isabela as it reveals that Abuela pushes Isabela to be perfect in Encanto. It's also a good moment for Isabela's character and her relationship with Mirabel. The sisters are at odds throughout the majority of Encanto, though they finally realize that there is more to each of them than originally thought, and it's a very touching moment for the both of them. "What Else Can I Do?" is a sweet song about coming of age and is a touching entry in the collection of Encanto's songs even if it's overshadowed a little by most of the other pieces in the soundtrack.
5. "Colombia, Mi Encanto"
While a non-diegetic song, "Colombia, Mi Encanto" serves wonderfully as a catchy addition to Encanto. It first plays during one of Encanto's first scenes, as the Madrigals and the village prepare for Antonio's gift ceremony, and it is later reprised at the end when Encanto's previously destroyed house, Casita, draws everyone from the community inside to celebrate. It's a tradition that a Disney film needs a nice, upbeat track to end the film, and "Colombia, Mi Encanto" does a wonderful job at tying Encanto's story together in a nice little bow and giving the audience a sweet track to leave the film with. It's remarkably catchy, more than earning its place among the diegetic songs in Encanto.
4. "Dos Oruguitas"
Much like "Colombia, Mi Encanto," "Dos Oruguitas" is a non-diegetic song. However, that being said, it's possibly the most emotionally resonant song in Encanto. Playing during Abuela Alma's (Maria Cecilia Botero) heart-wrenching of losing her husband and finding the Encanto's magic candle, "Dos Oruguitas," which means "two caterpillars," encomes the love story between Alma and Pedro, which is the foundation of the entire Madrigal family in Encanto. "Dos Oruguitas" is a sad song, but has lots of emotional weight. Essentially providing the music for the discovery of the enchanted candle, "Dos Oruguitas" is arguably the emotional centerpiece of Encanto's story.
3. "All Of You"
"All of You" is one of the last Encanto songs, following the film's climax in which Mirabel and Abuela finally understand each other, and Bruno is reunited with the rest of the family. "All of You" is a beautiful culmination of all of the previous Encanto songs into one huge ballad sung by the entire cast of characters. It does a stunning job of wrapping up each character's arc while also remaining incredibly catchy and fun to sing along to. The song is a powerful representation of a family coming together and makes for one of the more emotionally staggering moments in the story. It's sweet, it's funny - everything one could want from a Disney song.
2. "Surface Pressure"
Encanto's "Surface Pressure" just might be the movie's catchiest song overall. Sung by Luisa (Jessica Darrow), "Surface Pressure" is a joyful yet sympathetic track with a terrific melody. Luisa's emotional display of her insecurities and the amounting pressure she feels from her family is one of the best Encanto songs by far because of how compelling it is musically and story-wise. "Surface Pressure" does wonders for Luisa's development as a character, while also being a tremendous number in itself, featuring astonishing vocals and lyrics. It's a gem of a song and is far and away the best of Encanto's songs as far as solo numbers.
1. "We Don't Talk About Bruno"
Just narrowly beating out "Surface Pressure" for the title of best Encanto song is "We Don't Talk About Bruno," a fantastic ensemble number that really captures the magic of Encanto the best of any other song in the film. What starts out as a simple recount of a wedding day ruined by the former family outcast, Bruno (John Leguizamo) slowly amps up to being a powerful and layered ensemble track with remarkable vocals and the film's catchiest lyrics. Everyone gets a moment to shine in this number, and it so elegantly captures the magic of this story and the music within. These factors, as well as the song's humongous popularity after the film's release, clearly make "We Don't Talk About Bruno" the best song in Encanto.
