Lin-Manuel Miranda is on fire, and shows all his versatility into adapting different musical genres to make them "Disney-like". Here he's given full freedom to do all the things he loves in a musical: constant rap, references, adapting different genres to fit into Broadway showtunes, leitmotifs, and choral verses. All of his Encanto songs are so good that they broke the Billboard Hot 100.
- The teaser trailer's song
sets the tone for a fancy and exuberant Colombia-set animation. Even the trailer cards, floor and objects in Casa Madrigal move to the song's beat! - "The Family Madrigal", a catchy, quick tune to establish the setting and main characters for the movie. It has a boatload of exposition, but you don't even notice how much information is being given because the song and animation are so fun. Pay attention to Abuela's part: she sings the same tune as "Dos Oruguitas".
- "Waiting on a Miracle" is Mirabel's "I Want" Song, where she sings her prayer about longing to be accepted as part of her family with solemn but stirring instrumentation. The song honestly underscores that she's hurting and completely not fine via her tone. Bonus points for style: the song is written in a waltz-like time, different from any other song in the film, deliberately to show that Mirabel is out of step with the rest of the family.
- "Surface Pressure", Luisa's own personal musical number in the Reggaeton genre, is an ode to the anxious, as many who deal with Impostor Syndrome on a daily basis can relate to the lyrics and to Luisa's inner turmoil. The song illustrates her fears and anxieties while also making clever Greek mythology allusions and historical references. For many people, this song is an anthem for older siblings who do their best for their families.
- "We Don't Talk About Bruno" has become the film's Signature Song for a reason: it's incredibly catchy with a spooky and ominous tone yet not too dark, blending genres from guajira, Cuban folk, Chachacha, and hip hop, and allows the members of the family that don't get as much focus in the story (Pepa, Félix, Dolores and Camilo) to show off their pipes; Dolores gets extra points for rapid fire rapping in an almost whisper, and Camilo for an extremely hammy performance (and the score incorporating Theremins during his solo for an extra punch) during which he actually turns into Bruno just to creep out Mirabel as he's singing. Near the end of the song, everyone reprises their verses at the same time and they all effortlessly blend together, which, as YouTuber Howard Ho explains in his analysis of the song, is an actual madrigal, as in the composition of music.
- "What Else Can I Do" is a rocking song compared to the Rock en español of the '90s and Shakira's '90s entourage, courtesy of Isabela when she realises that she doesn't have to be limited by what her family demands and can be happy being herself. It's practically a successor to "Let It Go" in themes, being an "I Am Becoming" Song for Isabela, showing all the potential that she has with her plant powers if she expands from flowers. The fact that it sounds so similar to Latin female-led rock has not passed by Latina viewers. Miranda's love of a leitmotif strikes again, as Mirabel's part ("you just seem like your life's been a dream...") is sung to the tune of Isabela's part in "We Don't Talk About Bruno" ("He told me that the life of my dreams...")
- "Dos Oruguitas"note is an absolutely beautiful yet haunting song that plays over the flashback of Alma's romance with Abuelo Pedro, including his death and her absolute heartbreak, which is further elevated by Sebastián Yatra's magnificent vocalization. Once Alma and Mirabel are able to reconcile, the song becomes bittersweet as the tempo picks up and the "oruguitas" have metamorphosed into "mariposas". There's a seriously good enough reason for Lin-Manuel Miranda submitting this song to the Oscars instead of "We Don't Talk About Bruno", a decision he proudly defended in an interview for Variety.
- "Colombia, Mi Encanto", an upbeat party tune that establishes the charm and wonder of Colombian culture. The fact that many Hispanic viewers thought this was just another new song of Carlos Vives, instead of a song from a Disney film, showcases how well the film has adapted this new style of music.
- "All of You" is the final song of the film, and boy does it deliver, with little reprises of many of the previous songs in the film in a happier context as the psychological health of the Madrigal family is being repaired after years of damage caused by sheer pressure and dysfunction. Also, it's a touching masterpiece where teamwork makes for light work as all bond closer as a family and a community. The swelling of music as the entire town arrives to help is incredibly uplifting. It also has a blink and you'll miss it moment when Bruno is singing about Pepa letting it go, the opening notes to "Let it Go" briefly play while he dances.
- Not to be outdone, Germaine Franco's Oscar-nominated score offers many magnificent moments, especially "Antonio's Voice". Despite being a background song for Antonio's discovery of his room, the music is very powerful and elevates the whole scene. The lyrics are very simple, too, but convey the message clearly ("Antonio viene, viene Antonio; el niño tiene su don, Antonio tiene su voz"note ) and the vocalization that follows is absolutely marvelous.
