Aaliyah Parra

“I See the Light”, “Let it Go”, “Beauty and the Beast”. These are only some of Disney’s iconic songs, and Disney has struck gold once again. Disney’s newest movie, Encanto, was released on November 24, 2021, and has joined these popular films whose soundtracks are even more ubiquitous than the film itself. Encanto is set in Colombia, where we focus on the family Madrigal and their magical powers. The main character, Mirabel, is the only one in her family that doesn’t have a special gift and that is where the movie plot kicks in. Throughout the movie, there are many popular songs in their soundtrack that have blown up. Two of the songs that are hitting charts are called “Surface Pressure” sung by Jessica Darrow and “We Don’t Talk About Bruno” sung by the entire Encanto cast. The song that is dominating the charts right now is “We Don’t Talk About Bruno”, reaching No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, which CBC News says is “the best performance from a Disney animated film in more than 26 years, outpacing even 2013’s viral earworm “Let It Go.” In fact, 6 of the songs from the soundtrack are on the billboards dominating the charts. Many children and even adults enjoy watching Encanto and some have even watched the movie three or even four times already. Aaliyah Parra, a student at CTA Liberty Elementary, explaine her love of the movie and what she enjoys so much about it. Aaliyah states, “All of the scenes are my favorite in the movie, especially where they sing and where Bruno jumps out the wall.” She goes on to say that she watched the movie “at least 10 times” this past month and will continue to keep up that record for more months to come. Songs from the Encanto soundtrack have been also blowing up on social media like TikTok, Instagram Reels, and Snapchat. According to CBC News, the song is so popular on TikTok because “the aural complexity of the music itself. Most of the songs feature many voices, and multiple competing melodies — a perfect formula for engagement on a platform that allows creators to ‘duet,’ and add on, to other users’ videos.” This is the reason why many adults and teenagers like the song because it is new and something people haven’t heard before. Since the movie is set in Colombia, the song has a Latin Pop vibe to it. In The Atlantic, Spencer Kornhaber writes, “Although the song moves through a number of musical styles over its runtime, Miranda and co-producer Mike Elizondo foregrounded Cuban piano sounds and a cha-cha feel—accentuated by that “No, no, no” refrain. Such sonic elements have long coursed through the American musical landscape, but in recent years, their presence has become more overt and widely celebrated on the Hot 100.” It gives people a window into what the Latin heritage for music is like and explores new music every day. As Disney releases songs and movies year after year, the songs will feature so many new artists and musicians to come. I, myself, am excited for another movie to binge watch and sing along to the other kids as well. Let’s hope that new opportunities to explore different cultures through music will lead to more Disney hits for many years to come.