Desencadeno comes from the verb desencadenar, which literally means 'to unchain,' from the root word cadena (chain). It's a powerful and dramatic word for unleashing something.
In the song, Alvaro Soler sings, "Contigo me desencadeno" (With you, I unleash myself). He uses this word to describe breaking free from his inhibitions and unleashing his true, powerful, inner 'animal', all thanks to the strength someone gives him.
Alvaro Soler's "Animal" is a high-energy anthem about unleashing your inner strength for someone you care about. He sets the scene for a big moment, a fight or a challenge, where he's going to give it everything he has. He sings, "Hoy lucharé como un animal" (Today I will fight like an animal), comparing his determination to the power of a lion. It’s a song that tells you to turn your imagination into reality because there are no limits.
But this isn't just about fighting for himself. He's dedicating this struggle to a specific person who is both his anchor and his inspiration. He says, "En mi bandera llevo el alma / Amarrada por mi calma / Mi calma eres tú" (On my flag I carry my soul / Tied by my calm / You are my calm). This person helps him stay grounded, but also helps him get "desencadenado" (unleashed). He makes it clear that if he wins, it's because of them and their friendship: "Si hoy voy a triunfar / No voy olvidar / Que por ti será" (If today I am going to triumph / I will not forget / That it will be because of you).
Álvaro Soler was ten when his family moved to Tokyo, and seventeen when he came back to Catalonia with piano lessons and most of a second childhood behind him. He was born in Sant Cugat del Vallès in 1991, formed the band Urban Lights in 2010 with his brother and a few friends, reached the final eight of the talent show ¡Tú sí que vales! with them in 2013, and left in 2014 to work on his own.
The song that broke him was "El mismo sol" in 2015, a number one in Italy and Switzerland that was re-recorded as a bilingual version with Jennifer Lopez. "Sofia" did it again a year later, topping the charts in Italy, Poland, Belgium and Switzerland and going platinum several times over in Italy. His albums are Eterno agosto (2015), Mar de colores (2018), which carried "La cintura", Magia (2021) and El Camino (2025). He records in Spanish, English, Italian and German, wrote "Yo contigo, tú conmigo" with Morat for Despicable Me 3, and has coached on the German edition of The Voice Kids.