One of the tightest competitions for this year’s Academy Awards is Best Original Song which primes the ultimate Disney v Bond showdown. Both are definitive winners in any other year, with Lin Manuel-Miranda’s tragic Encanto ballad ‘Dos Oruguitas’ facing off against Billie Eilish’s haunting Bond theme ‘No Time To Die.’ Both are deserving composers, both shine in popular films and both are backed by big studios, creating a Goliath v Goliath showdown where it’s unlikely any other song will prevail.
However, while this song showdown continues amongst the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences voters, bookies and the press, another controversy is being fought over why ‘Dos Oruguitas’ was nominated over fellow Encanto song and internet sensation ‘We Don’t Talk About Bruno’.
The film Encanto depicts a Colombian family all gifted with miraculous powers, except for Mirabel who instead leads her family and audiences on a gorgeous journey of intergenerational healing, mental health awareness, authentic characterisation and self-empowerment. This story is told through a variety of vibrant songs of which any has the potential to be a famed nominee or fan favourite, so why is it “We Don’t Talk About Bruno” that has captured the heart of the internet, and ‘Dos Oruguitas’ that has captured the nominations?
‘We Don’t Talk About Bruno’ tells a sung story of the elusive Uncle Bruno who disappeared when Mirabel was young, driven away by the fear and anger that accompanied his powers of prophecy. In typical Lin fashion, it incorporates several family members telling their perspectives of why they don’t talk about Bruno, ending in musical theatre styled intertwining of so many voices that no singular person could ever replicate it – although people have tried. A fun song and an absolute bop, its light humour, fascinating characters, choreographed dance sequences and sneaky Bruno cameos have taken the internet by storm.
Topping the charts for five consecutive weeks, ‘We Don’t Talk About Bruno’ was a surprise hit, now destined to be stuck in our heads until the end of time (or at least until the next Frozen sequel comes out). However, despite such acclaim, ‘Dos Oruguitas’ certainly garnered the top nominations for a reason.
Sung during the climax of the film, ‘Dos Oruguitas’ is the only song not performed by a character and illustrates the story of family matriarch Alma losing her husband Pedro as he is killed trying to protect the village and his family. It is the pair’s sacrifice that creates the miracle that fuels the family’s intergenerational powers, and it is Alma’s show of vulnerability in this scene that mends the family. This is the narrative and musical power that ‘Dos Oruguitas’ holds over ‘We Don’t Talk About Bruno’. Not only does ‘Dos Oruguitas’ change the course of the narrative, but the song is the emotional centre-point of the film, inducing tears and heartache, and guiding audiences back into their ordinary lives with an English version playing over the credits.
The violin-driven melody is deeply emotional, embracing layers of sadness and love in equal parts, and executing a wonderful blend of quick rhythmic drums and flowing strings. The instrumentation is an authentic representation of Colombian musicianship, and the singer Sebastian Yatra is powerful and melancholic. The lyrics, which are all in Spanish, tell a symbolic story of two caterpillars meeting and growing together before becoming butterflies that need to “fly apart to reunite”, in one of the most hauntingly beautiful metaphors I feel Disney has ever produced.
‘Dos Oruguitas’ perfectly captures the emotions that make Encanto so endearing and beloved, bringing into words the full meaning of the film’s themes of generational healing, love and loss. It is not only the masterpiece of Encanto, but one of Lin’s greatest creations, and if he ever deserved to win the Oscar that will fulfil his Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony award (EGOT) status, it’s for ‘Dos Oruguitas’.
Sure, ‘We Don’t Talk About Bruno’ is a wonderfully joyous song and an immediate Disney classic, but it does not host the same power of emotion or musical quality to win over the Academy or fulfil such a deep significance. While some claimed the choice to submit ‘Dos Oruguitas’ over ‘We Don’t Talk About Bruno’ was a case of late popularity and unlucky timing, all things being equal, the magic of the former and its gorgeous musicality and deep thematic symbolism would have clinched the nomination, regardless of how many TikTok dances or parental living rooms Bruno invaded.
Reminiscent of Disney legacies such as ‘Can You Feel The Love Tonight’, ‘Dos Oruguitas’ emits old Disney charm alongside new Disney inclusivity, creating an intergenerational love ballad that exists and thrives beyond the boundaries of its film debut, whether it wins the Oscar this Sunday or not.