Songs 1-4: Encanto

*Light spoilers.*

There’s a new Lin-Manuel Miranda score, which means I have a new album to listen to on repeat. It also means it’s time to break down each song over a couple of posts! Like I said in my review of Encanto, most of the songs didn’t wow me straight out of the gate, but it didn’t take more than a few listens for all of them to earworm their way into my head and my heart.

“The Family Madrigal” – The opening number is a lot to take in, and the first time through, I felt a little overwhelmed. But while it’s not as strong as some of the songs in this score, it improves the more you listen to it, and it’s actually an appropriate introduction to this big, bustling, noisy family. Mirabel breaks down the family connections and gifts for some kids in the village, explaining the different relations and sharing all the Madrigals’ magical abilities. It’s a bright, happy number with Miranda’s signature rapid-fire lyrics, but there are also these wistful hints that clue you in to the coming reveal: that Mirabel is the only one who didn’t get a gift. As much as she loves and celebrates her family, there are these little parts of her that still feel less-than.

Best lyric: “So many kids in our house, so let’s turn the sound up. / You know why? I think it’s time for a grandkid round-up!”

“Waiting on a Miracle” – Every Disney musical needs a good “I want” song. With Moana, Miranda gave us a thrilling anthem in “How Far I’ll Go,” and here, we’re given something fierce and sad. As Mirabel literally stands on the side watching the household take a family photo without her, she admits that she’s not “fine” being the only one without a gift, the only one not blessed by the family miracle. She reflects on who she isn’t and contemplates who she could be if she was just given a chance. The melody is understated but lovely and the accompanying visuals are stunning—Disney’s animators just keep outdoing themselves.

Best lyric: “Always walking alone, / Always wanting for more, / Like I’m still at that door / Longing to shine like all of you shine.”

“Surface Pressure” – There are a lot of emotional numbers in this film, but this is the one that wrecks me. Mirabel’s older sister Luisa, “the strong one,” sings about the crippling responsibility she feels to carry the family, protect everyone, and never show weakness. Multiple lines here just rip me to shreds, absolutely crushing. The very first time I heard it, I couldn’t quite run with the melody of this song, but as I’ve listened to it more since watching the movie, I’ve gotten into the rhythm of it and like the way the upbeat melody belies the heartbreaking lyrics of Luisa repeatedly insisting she won’t break under the weight of all she has to bear, because she feels like she’s the only one who can hold everything together.

Best lyric: Every single “give it to your sister” line in the choruses, but if I have to pick just one, I’ll go with, “Give it to your sister, it doesn’t hurt and / See if she can handle every family burden. / Watch as she buckles and bends but never breaks-- / No mistakes.”

“We Don’t Talk about Bruno” – This moody number about the missing Madrigal uncle has a tremendous groove. Each character/duo who takes part in the song has their own separate part with an individual vibe. No two parts sound alike, but they all complement each other, as the end of the song proves with an excellent entry to the Lin-Manuel Miranda library of overlapping melodies. Beyond the killer melodies, this is a great insight, not into Bruno himself but into the family’s perception of him. Pepa has a story to tell about how one of his apparent prophecies ruined her wedding, Dolores shares the details she’s overheard, Camilo makes Bruno out to be a monstrous bogeyman, and Isabela sings about the perfect life he predicted for her—on-brand for everyone.

Best lyric: I’m gonna have to go with this bit, from Dolores’s rapidfire verse—“It’s a heavy lift with a gift so humbling. / Always left Abuela and the family fumbling, / Grappling with prophecies they couldn’t understand. / Do you understand?”