Lin-Manuel Miranda’s “Encanto” Soundtrack Reaches Fifth Week at No. 1 on Billboard 200 

It’s an enchanting five for Lin-Manuel Miranda

Walt Disney Records’ Encanto soundtrack, containing eight original songs written by the 42-year-old Puerto Rican Tony Award-winning star and produced by Mike Elizondo, spends its fifth nonconsecutive week at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 albums chart, becoming the soundtrack with the most weeks atop the chart since Disney’s own Frozen ruled for 13 nonconsecutive weeks in 2014.

Encanto

With their totals at No. 1 (so far), Frozen and Encanto boast the most, and second-most, weeks at No. 1, respectively, among soundtracks in the 21st century.

Encanto earned 110,000 equivalent album units in the U.S. in the week ending February 10 (down 2%), according to MRC Data.

Of Encanto’s 110,000 equivalent album units earned, SEA units comprise 91,000 (down 3%, equaling 134.82 million on-demand official streams of the set’s songs), album sales comprise 17,000 (up 5%) and TEA units comprise 2,000 (down 28%).

Encanto continues to be powered largely by streaming activity for its songs, including its five top 40-charting hits on the Billboard Hot 100: “We Don’t Talk About Bruno” (which spent its second week atop the February 12-dated chart), “Surface Pressure,” “The Family Madrigal,” “What Else Can I Do?” and the Academy Award-nominated “Dos Oruguitas.”

Notably, Encanto is one of only six soundtracks to spend at least five weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 in the last 30 years. Before Encanto, there was Frozen (13 weeks, 2014), Titanic (16, 1998), Waiting to Exhale (five, 1996), The Lion King (10, 1994-95) and the Whitney Houston-led The Bodyguard (20, 1992-93). (Before that, the last soundtrack with at least five weeks at No. 1 was Prince’s Batman in 1989, with six weeks at No. 1.) The soundtrack — and overall album — with the most weeks at No. 1 is West Side Story, with 54 weeks atop the list in 1962-63.

The Billboard 200 chart ranks the most popular albums of the week in the U.S. based on multi-metric consumption as measured in equivalent album units, compiled by MRC Data. Units comprise album sales, track equivalent albums (TEA) and streaming equivalent albums (SEA). Each unit equals one album sale, or 10 individual tracks sold from an album, or 3,750 ad-supported or 1,250 paid/subscription on-demand official audio and video streams generated by songs from an album.

Stephanie Beatriz & Her Encanto Cast Mates Earn First No. 1 on Billboard Hot 100 with “We Don’t Talk About Bruno”

Stephanie Beatriz and her Encanto cast mates has the entire country talkin’ about Bruno

The 40-year-old Colombian and Bolivian American actress’ “We Don’t Talk About Bruno,” from Disney’s animated hit film Encanto, has made history in its rise to No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 songs chart.

EncantoThe ensemble song – by Carolina Gaitán, Mauro Castillo, Adassa, Rhenzy Feliz, Diane Guerrero, Beatriz and the Encanto Cast – rises from the Hot 100’s runner-up spot and becomes just the second No. 1 ever from a Disney animated film.

“Bruno” also marks the first Hot 100 leader for the song’s sole writer, Lin-Manuel Miranda. He and Mike Elizondo co-produced it and earn their first and second trips to No. 1, respectively, in those roles.

The Hot 100 blends all-genre U.S. streaming (official audio and official video), radio airplay and sales data.

“Bruno” becomes the Hot 100’s 1,133rd No. 1 over the chart’s 63-year history.

It drew 34.9 million U.S. streams (up 8%) and 1.5 million radio airplay audience impressions (up 239%) and sold 12,300 downloads (up 32%, aided by 69-cent discount pricing in the iTunes Store, good for the Hot 100’s top Sales Gainer award) in the January 21-27 tracking week, according to MRC Data.

The track tops the Streaming Songs chart for a fourth week and ranks at No. 3 on Digital Song Sales, a week after it reached the summit.

“Bruno” rules the Hot 100 in its fifth week on the chart, after it debuted at No. 50 on the January 8 survey. Encanto arrived on December 24 on the Disney+ streaming service, after it premiered in U.S. theaters on November 24.

“Bruno” becomes only the second Hot 100 No. 1 from a Disney animated film. It follows Peabo Bryson and Regina Belle’s Aladdin theme “A Whole New World,” which topped the March 6, 1993, chart.

“Bruno” was released on Walt Disney Records, while “World” was released on Columbia Records. It’s the first Hot 100 No. 1 for Walt Disney Records. (The label formed in 1956, just before the Hot 100 began in 1958.)

Prior to “Bruno,” another collaborative song represented Walt Disney Records’ highest Hot 100 rank: “Breaking Free,” by Zac Efron, Andrew Seeley and Vanessa Anne Hudgens, from High School Musical, hit No. 4 on the February 11, 2006, chart. The label has also reached the top five via Idina Menzel’s “Let It Go,” from Frozen (No. 5, 2014).

(The Disney Music Group, which includes the Walt Disney Records and Hollywood Records labels, notched one prior Hot 100 No. 1: the latter label’s “Hey There Delilah” by Plain White T’s led for two weeks in 2007.)

“The [Encanto] rollout began with a fantastic film, incredible music and a strong marketing campaign,” Disney Music Group president Ken Bunt recently told Billboard, adding that one reason he feels that “Bruno,” specifically, has connected is that it “includes the entire Family Madrigal, which reflects the dynamics of so many families.”

“Bruno” was written by Lin-Manuel Miranda, who achieves his first No. 1 writing credit on the Hot 100. The Emmy, Grammy and Tony Award winner, among numerous other honors, previously reached a No. 20 best in October 2017 as both a recording artist and writer thanks to “Almost Like Praying,” his charity single featuring Artists for Puerto Rico.

“It’s been really amazing because ensemble numbers don’t usually get this kind of love,” Miranda mused of “Bruno” on Billboard‘s latest Pop Shop Podcast. “My job is to raise my hand and let this room of animators and incredibly creative people know what music can do.”

While one person wrote “Bruno,” the song, conversely, sets the record for the most credited recording artists ever on a Hot 100 No. 1.

The billing of Gaitán, Castillo, Adassa, Feliz, Guerrero, Beatriz and the Encanto cast outpaces the quintet of DJ Khaled featuring Justin Bieber, Quavo, Chance the Rapper and Lil Wayne, whose “I’m the One” topped the May 20, 2017, chart.

(Notably, the superstar-infused “We Are the World,” which topped the Hot 100 for four weeks in 1985, was billed as by USA for Africa.)

Gaitán, Castillo, Adassa, Feliz, Guerrero and Beatriz each lead the Hot 100 for the first time. They voice Encanto characters, and Madrigal family members, Pepa, Félix, Dolores, Camilo, Isabela and Mirabel, respectively.

Disney Channel Renews Carrero’s “Elena of Avalor” for a Third Season

Aimee Carrero’s reign continues…

Disney Channel has ordered a third season of its hit animated series Elena of Avalor, featuring the 28-year-old Dominican actress as the voice of the title character.

Aimee Carrero

The announcement comes months ahead of its Season 2 premiere.

Created and executive-produced by Emmy winner Craig Gerber, the series centers on a brave and adventurous teenager who rules her kingdom as crown princess, Elena of Avalor. It stars Carrero as the voice of Elena; Jenna Ortega as Princess Isabel; Chris Parnell, Yvette Nicole Brown and Carlos Alazraqui as the jaquins Migs, Luna and Skylar, respectively; Emiliano Díez as Francisco; Julia Vera as Luisa; Christian Lanz as Chancellor Esteban; Jillian Rose Reed as Naomi; Joseph Haro as Mateo; Jorge Diaz as Gabe; Keith Ferguson as Zuzo; and Joe Nunez as Armando. The recurring guest voice cast includes: Constance Marie, Lou Diamond Phillips, Rich Sommer, Justina Machado and Jaime Camil.

When it premiered in July 2016, Elena of Avalor quickly became television’s No.1 series for Girls age 2-11 in the U.S. It also ranks No. 1 in its timeslot among kids in the UK, Spain and Portugal.

Season 2 is scheduled to premiere this fall on Disney Channel and Disney Junior.

Elena of Avalor has spawned a franchise aside from the television series, including a line of dolls from Disney Store and Hasbro which recently reached the mark of one million dolls sold. The Elena character also is featured at Disney Parks & Resorts where she greets well-wishers with stories and songs from her native land during special character appearances. The series also has spawned print and e-book titles from Disney Publishing; an “Elena of Avalor” original soundtrack album from Walt Disney Records; and multiple DVD releases from Walt Disney Studios, including the recently released Elena and the Secret of Avalor.