El universo sobre mí

"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. The song debuted at number 1 in Spain, where it remained for three consecutive weeks. Additionally, it peaked at number 43 in the American Billboard's Hot Latin Tracks.

Composition and release
After wrapping up Amaral's tour to promote the album Estrella de mar (2002), Eva Amaral and Juan Aguirre wrote "El universo sobre mí". The tour was stressful and they felt overwhelmed due to travel and a lack of rest, coupled with the fame the album brought them. The lyrics reflect "a chant to move forward, to feel free and to do whatever they wanted to do", as Eva explained because they considered that their group was moving away from its roots. Around this time, Aguirre, the group's lead guitarist, injured his hand. Consequently, he played the introduction with a keyboard instead of a guitar. In live performances, he used a Mellotron instead. 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 with the world. The song's working title was "Solo queda una vela".

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. Aguirre mentioned that Pájaros en la cabeza's album cover is a doll-like metaphor for how they were feeling at the moment, and that they faced problems getting the cover to remain the final one.

Critical response
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. El Crítico de IA wrote for the Spanish magazine Popes80 called it a pop rock song that "has the incredible ability to connect with our deepest emotions, transporting us to dreamy places and awakening feelings we thought we had forgotten." The European Space Agency added the song to its playlist for the launch of the Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer (JUICE) interstellar spacecraft in 2023.

Commercial performance
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 July 2024, the song remains their most successful single in the country. In the United States, it peaked at number 43 on the Billboard's Hot Latin Tracks chart on 2 July 2005.