Lin-Manuel Miranda is on top of the world again. After his huge success composing music for the stage musical Hamilton and the animated film Moana, the Tony Award winner created a new score for Disney’s latest musical film, Encanto. Amid the film being available in both theaters and on streaming service Disney+, Miranda’s music has managed to hit a massive milestone.
Encanto's soundtrack has hit the number one spot on the Billboard 200 albums chart for the week of January 15, according to Billboard. With toe-tapping songs like “We Don’t Talk About Bruno” (which hit No. 5 on the Hot 100 chart) and “Surface Pressure”, the album has proven that it can stand on its own two feet even outside of the film. This is the soundtrack’s sixth week on the Billboard 200 albums chart, but only recently did it rise to the top spot. Streaming service reportedly also helped boost Encanto’s numbers by a whopping 76% from when it first debuted on the chart.
The achievement is even more impressive when one considers that the Frozen II soundtrack was the last animated film score to grab the prime spot back in 2019, where it hovered for one week before dropping again. In the entire 60+ year history of the Billboard 200 albums chart, only six animated movie soundtracks have made it to the number one position. Aside from Encanto, Frozen, Frozen II, Curious George, Pocahontas, and The Lion King have reachedd the milestone. It's also worth noting that other than Curious George, Disney properties make up the entirety of that list.
Disney's 60th animated movie tells the story of 15-year-old Mirabel (voiced by Stephanie Beatriz of Brooklyn Nine-Nine), the only member of the enchanted Madrigal family to not possess a magical ability. When the clan’s powers begin to fade, though, Mirabel must set out on a journey to discover the source of their failing magic and learn a few things about herself in the process. Additional voices for the film include Jessica Darrow, María Cecilia Botero, John Leguizamo, Mauro Castillo, Diane Guerrero, and Angie Cepeda.
Despite the Encanto soundtrack’s popularity, only one song has been submitted for Academy Award consideration, though. Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Spanish-language tune “Dos Oroguitas”, meaning “Two Caterpillars,” is reportedly in the running for Best Original Song. If he wins, he’ll become one of the few EGOT winners (actors or musicians who have received an Oscar, Grammy, Emmy, and Tony).
“How Far I’ll Go” from Moana was nominated but lost out to “City of Stars” from La La Land. Given the critical acclaim the recent movie has been greeted with, it’s entirely possible that Miranda could snag the trophy and catapult the movie to even greater levels of success.
Encanto is now available to stream on Disney+. The record-breaking soundtrack can be streamed on Spotify, Apple Music, and YouTube Music.
