| El universo sobre mí | |
| B-Side: | No soy como tú (versión acústica) |
| Cover: | Amaral - El Universo Sobre mí cover.jpg |
| Alt: | The band Amaral is represented by two dolls standing in front of a landscape. In the centre, at the top, the name of the band and the name of the song is written. |
| Type: | single |
| Artist: | Amaral |
| Album: | Pájaros en la cabeza |
| Recorded: | 2005 |
| Genre: | Pop rock |
| Length: | 4:07 |
| Label: | Virgin Records |
| Producer: | Cameron Jenkins |
| Prev Title: | Salir corriendo |
| Prev Year: | 2003 |
| Next Title: | Días de verano |
| Next Year: | 2005 |
"El universo sobre mí" is a song performed by the Spanish rock duo Amaral, consisting of vocalist Eva Amaral and guitarist Juan Aguirre. They wrote the song and Cameron Jenkins produced it. Virgin Records released it as the first single from the album Pájaros en la cabeza on 25 February 2005.[1] [2] The song debuted at number 1 in Spain, where it remained for three consecutive weeks. Additionally, it peaked at number 43 in the American Billboards Hot Latin Tracks.
After concluding Amaral's tour to promote the album Estrella de mar (2002), Eva Amaral and Juan Aguirre wrote "El universo sobre mí". The tour had been stressful, with extensive travel and a lack of rest exacerbated by the newfound fame brought by the album. The lyrics of the song reflect "a chant to move forward, to feel free and to do whatever they wanted to do", as Eva explained, as they felt their band was drifting from its origins. During this period, Aguirre, the group's lead guitarist, injured his hand, leading him to play the introduction with a keyboard instead of a guitar. In live performances, he used a Mellotron instead.[3] Regarding the lyric "Quiero encontrar mi sitio" ("I want to find my place"), Eva explained that it is about finding balance and peace of mind in the world. The song's initial working title was "Solo queda una vela".[4]
Cameron Jenkins produced it along with the album, Pájaros en la cabeza. Virgin Records released it as the first single from the album on 25 February 2005.[5] [6] Aguirre mentioned that the album cover of Pájaros en la cabeza is a doll-like metaphor for how they were feeling at the time, and that they faced problems getting the cover to remain the final one.[7]
Lucía Noguerales from Onda Cero compared the introduction of "El universo sobre mí" to the song "Strawberry Fields Forever" by the Beatles, as it uses a Mellotron.[3] El Crítico de IA wrote for the Spanish magazine Popes80 that the song is a pop rock tune that "has the incredible ability to connect with our deepest emotions, transporting us to dreamy places and awakening feelings we thought we had forgotten."[8] The European Space Agency added the song to its playlist for the launch of the Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer (JUICE) interstellar spacecraft in 2023.[9]
In Spain, "El universo sobre mí" debuted at the top of the Spanish chart on 6 March 2005, where it stayed for three weeks. As of, the song remains their only number-one single in the country. The Productores de Música de España certified the song platinum in 2024, denoting sales of 60,000 copies. In the United States, it peaked at number 43 on the Billboards Hot Latin Tracks chart on 2 July 2005.