'It doesn't really make a ton of sense without seeing 'Encanto,' but I think because it's such a compelling song within the movie, it doesn't really matter if it's more plot-driven. 'The major Disney breakout songs don't really function like 'We Don't Talk About Bruno,' which is so much more about plot continuation and is less a kind of ballad as 'Colors of the Wind' or 'Let It Go,' ' Lipshutz says. After all, the song isn't a power ballad like Idina Menzel's 'Let It Go.' Nor was it given a radio-friendly makeover by Elton John ( 'Can You Feel the Love Tonight') or Peabo Bryson and Regina Belle ( 'A Whole New World'), whose respective recordings of the Disney favorites both reached the Top 5 in the mid-early ’90s. in 2020, according to the Recording Industry Association Of America. And with Colombian hitmakers including Maluma and Sebastián Yatra featured on the soundtrack, it's no wonder that 'Encanto' has enjoyed crossover appeal.īut that still doesn't entirely explain why 'Bruno' has been singled out by listeners. Latin music revenues grew for a fifth consecutive year in the U.S. And I think people are just ready to experience something new.' What is it about 'Bruno'? 'This is a new animated film that everybody started watching over the holidays – especially families with little kids, who are watching it over and over again,' says Lipshutz. 'So I'm not shocked it's risen so quickly because everybody can stream it. Like 'Bruno,' the Grammy-nominated single was propelled by massive Spotify streams and trending TikTok videos, as people looked for the next big thing following the usual glut of Christmas music and fall releases from major artists. Jason Lipshutz, senior director of music at Billboard, compares the song's meteoric rise to that of Olivia Rodrigo's breakthrough 'Driver's License' in January 2021. Review: Disney’s ‘Encanto’ enchants with awkward teen heroine, catchy Lin-Manuel Miranda songs 1 on Billboard's album chart earlier this month, unseating Adele's latest juggernaut '30.' Multiple songs from the film are featured in the Hot 100 – led by 'Bruno' at No. 197 on the Billboard 200 album chart.īut the movie, and its music, exploded when 'Encanto' started streaming on Disney+ Christmas Eve. The film's soundtrack, featuring eight original songs by Lin-Manuel Miranda ('Hamilton'), similarly disappointed with its debut at No. 'Encanto' got a soft start over Thanksgiving weekend on its way to a $92.6 million box-office haul – the latest in a string of movies aimed at young kids that have struggled to draw families back to theaters during the pandemic. But you have to throw several things into the blender to explain how this happened.' 'Encanto' wasn't a hit - at first

'You've got this very bespoke situation where this left-field, almost patter song with multiple artists gets the big rise on the charts. 'The organic nature of the audience landing on 'We Don't Talk About Bruno' really is the marketplace picking the single and that's quite unusual, especially for an animated film,' says Chris Molanphy, Slate's chart analyst and host of music history podcast Hit Parade.

More: What Disney’s 'Encanto' teaches us about self-worth and overcoming intergenerational family trauma On TikTok, videos using the track have surpassed 2.2 billion views, with videos highlighting its choreography and Latino representation, and uncovering Bruno Easter eggs in the movie's poster art. Top 50 chart, as well as YouTube Music's songs and music videos charts. The song was not promoted as a single, nor was it submitted for best original song Oscar consideration by the studio (in favor of Spanish-language ballad 'Dos Oruguitas').īut that hasn't stopped 'Bruno' from becoming a 'Frozen'-style phenomenon all its own: topping Spotify's U.S. 'Bruno' is performed midway through the film, as heroine Mirabel (voiced by Stephanie Beatriz) learns from her family about their black sheep relative (John Leguizamo), who has the gift – and curse – of predicting the future. 5 on the Hot 100, and 'Colors of the Wind' from 'Pocahontas,' which reached No. It's surpassed 'Let It Go' from 'Frozen,' which peaked at No. 'Bruno' ties 'A Whole New World' from 'Aladdin' as the highest charting song ever from a Disney animated movie. Yes, that's right: We're talking about Bruno, the Madrigal family's estranged uncle in Disney's 'Encanto,' and the subject of the animated movie's signature song 'We Don't Talk About Bruno,' which topped the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart Monday two months after its release in theaters. He's got a 7-foot frame, rats along his back – and now, a No.

Its complicated song popular