We already know Encanto’s “We Don’t Talk About Bruno,” is the most popular song from the film, leading the soundtrack to become the first in years to top the Billboard charts.
Still, that’s not the only song families are playing over and over again, as Luisa’s solo track “Surface Pressure” is capturing fans’ attention for its relatable lyrics about being the backbone of your family.
Early on in the film, Mirabel (voiced by Stephanie Beatriz) notices that her older sister Luisa (voiced by Jessica Darrow) has an eye twitch. With this observation, Mirabel suspects that her sister is stressed out about something, but Luisa continues to deny that anything is wrong.
Finally, while singing “Surface Pressure,” Luisa opens up about just how much her superhuman strength is taking a toll on her every single day. She goes on to describe how the Madrigal family and the entire town rely on her abilities to fix all their problems--and all of that pressure is weighing on her.
Just like many others, the song personally connected to one TikTok star named Maribel Martinez, who revealed to TODAY that she listened to “Surface Pressure” before she even watched the film.
“People kept commenting that I looked like (Luisa), so I saw one of her songs on TikTok,” she explained. “I was like, wow, she’s strong and masculine, but yet (has) feminine features.”
She continued, “I’ve never seen any cartoon character or Disney character ever look like a feminine but yet masculine woman. It’s not a normal thing you see every day.”
Martinez went on to say that she thought Luisa’s character design was “super cool,” which is why she decided to watch Encanto with her daughter.
“I was shocked because I was so glad to see that I could see myself in somebody else,” she said after her first viewing.
That’s when the mother of two recreated some scenes on social media. On TikTok, she has posted videos of her mimicking the pivotal moment in the film when Luisa moves boulders with her hips and flexing her muscles while lip-syncing to “Surface Pressure.”
One of her most successful posts, which currently boasts over 10 million views, features her singing along to the lyrics: “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 just.”
That line in particular is what really stood out to Martinez.
“Not only was I physically the appearance of this character, but the song just related to me so much in my own livelihood,” said Martinez, who was raised in a big family like Luisa.
“I was raised as the oldest but I am the middle child out of seven of us altogether,” she explained. “I’m the fourth one. And my older siblings were adopted out and I was raised as the oldest. So I had a lot of pressure on me growing up.”
Just as she was inspired by the film, Martinez says she also hopes Encanto and her body-positive social media posts inspire her daughter.
“For my daughter, I just want her to always find a way to love herself the way she is. (To) know it doesn’t matter if she’s different,” she said. “I’m the parent who will support no matter what my child chooses to do with their life as long as it makes them happy.”
