"We Don't Talk About Bruno" is a song from Disney's 2021 animated musical film Encanto, with music and lyrics written by Lin-Manuel Miranda. It was released by Walt Disney Records as the only single from the film's soundtrack on November 19, 2021. The song is an ensemble number performed by some of the film's voice cast members: mainly Carolina Gaitán, , Adassa, Rhenzy Feliz, Diane Guerrero and Stephanie Beatriz, and a few others in minor roles. A viral sensation, "We Don't Talk About Bruno" has been described as one of the best Disney songs and the studio's biggest crossover success.
Consisting of gossip and anecdotes about Mirabel Madrigal's ostracized uncle, Bruno, whose gift of seeing the future has been associated with misfortune and has left him estranged from the rest of the Madrigal family, "We Don't Talk About Bruno" sees some of the family members and the townsfolk explain to Mirabel why they fear his prophecies. The song suggests that Bruno is villainous, but sheds the narrative styles of conventional Disney villain songs by listing other characters' perspectives of the villain.
Musically, "We Don't Talk About Bruno" is a midtempo tune blending Latin music styles such as salsa and guajira with pop, hip hop, dance and Broadway elements, propelled by cha-cha-chá beats, sung by an ensemble, and climaxing in a polyphonic outro.
"We Don't Talk About Bruno" was met with acclaim from music critics, who praised Miranda's craftsmanship and the song's mystery element, catchy rhythm, versatile composition, ensemble of singers, and lyrical personality. A commercial success, "We Don't Talk About Bruno" spent several weeks at number one in Ireland, the United Kingdom and the United States, and peaked in the top five in Australia, Canada and New Zealand. "We Don't Talk About Bruno" is the longest-reigning chart-topper for Disney in the US Billboard Hot 100 history, as well as the studio's first-ever original song to top the UK Singles Chart. It broke the all-time record for the most credited artists (seven) on a Hot 100 chart-topper.
Background and release
"We Don't Talk About Bruno" is a song from the 2021 American animated musical film, Encanto, by Walt Disney Animation Studios; it is the studio's 60th film. The song is featured as the fourth track on the film's soundtrack, which has been released in 46 languages. It was written and composed by American singer-songwriter Lin-Manuel Miranda, who wrote the seven other songs of the soundtrack, and previously worked on Disney's 2016 animated film, Moana and Sony Pictures' Vivo. The song is mainly performed by six of the film's cast members in full verses: Colombian actress and singer Carolina Gaitán (Pepa), Colombian musician Mauro Castillo (Félix), American singer-songwriter Adassa (Dolores), American actor Rhenzy Feliz (Camilo), American actresses Diane Guerrero (Isabela), and Stephanie Beatriz (Mirabel), in the order of their appearances in the song; Juan Castano (Osvaldo) and Olga Merediz (Alma "Abuela" Madrigal) contribute minor vocals.
Composition Miranda pitched the song as an ensemble because he wanted to create musical themes to represent every family member, especially "those who do not necessarily get their solo". He said he looked to "A Weekend in the Country" from A Little Night Music and "Christmas Bells" from Rent. He described "We Don't Talk About Bruno" as a "gossip" number because there are things family members do not talk about in front of each other. The first verse is about who is telling the story—Mirabel's aunt Pepa and uncle Félix, who Miranda based on his father, Luis Miranda. Miranda said "everyone sings the same chord progression with a totally different rhythm and a totally different cadence". During the film's early development, the song's subject—Bruno—was originally named Oscar. Miranda chose the name Bruno so he could work the lyric "Bruno, no, no, no" into the song. Driven by cha-cha-chá beats, "We Don't Talk About Bruno" has been described as a Latin pop and salsa song. It is heavily rooted in guajira and draws from Cuban folk, hip hop, and dance music. Each section of the song features a different musical style unique to each of the characters. The hooks and the verses by Pepa and Félix are driven by a classic Cuban piano montuno; Dolores's verse consists of ASMR-influenced vocals over soft electronic beats; Camilo's lines exhibit a "spooky" delivery; and later followed by plucked pizzicato strings below Isabela's bright voice.
Lyrics and context
The song describes the Encanto character Bruno Madrigal from the perspectives of his family members and the local townsfolk. Bruno is one of a set of triplets born to Alma and Pedro Madrigal, alongside his sisters Julieta and Pepa. Like the rest of his family, he has a magical ability; his is the ability to see the future. Encantos first song, "The Family Madrigal", establishes that Bruno has not been seen for years, and that he is not to be discussed. Bruno's niece Mirabel, the only member of the family without a magical gift, believes one of Bruno's prophecies might reveal the cause of cracks that have been appearing in the structure of their house, and in "We Don't Talk About Bruno" she seeks information about her missing uncle.
The song illustrates how Bruno often foresaw negative events and then was blamed by those affected by them. Bruno's sister Pepa and her husband Félix tell Mirabel how Bruno's warning of rain ruined their wedding day. Pepa and Félix's daughter Dolores explains that Bruno's prophecies frightened and confused the family, and her brother Camilo portrays Bruno as a fearsome figure who "feasts on your screams". Three of the townsfolk relate various misfortunes that Bruno foretold for them. While Mirabel's sister Isabela claims Bruno predicted that her life would be perfect, Dolores laments a prediction that the man she loved would be "betrothed to another". As the family prepares for an engagement dinner party for Isabela and her boyfriend Mariano, Mirabel reassembles the shattered pieces of the last prophecy Bruno made before he disappeared, discovering as the song ends that it shows Mirabel herself at the center of the cracks in the house.
Critical reception "We Don't Talk About Bruno" received widespread acclaim from music and film critics. Its genre-blending composition and mysterious topic were often praised in its reviews.
Rompers Jamie Kenney called "We Don't Talk About Bruno" the stand-out from Encanto, "one that, above all others, has delightfully ear-wormed into our brains and lived there rent-free since we watched the movie with our kids over holiday break". /Films Caroline Cao ranked the song as the best on the Encanto soundtrack, calling it humorous and nuanced, further stating: "We Don't Talk About Bruno' bursts with the Madrigals' vibrant personalities, from Adassa's speedy whispering as cousin Dolores to the way Rhenzy Feliz relishes telling a story as the over-imaginative cousin Camilo". Cao deemed it a "perfect ensemble piece that illuminates each character, sheds light on the story's overarching themes, and offers an unparalleled amount of insight into the world of Encanto". Screen Rants Kristen Brown also called it the film's best song.
Ashley Spencer of The New York Times wrote, unlike most of Disney's breakout hits, "We Don't Talk About Bruno" is not a "wistful hero's solo or a third-act power ballad", but rather "a Broadway-style ensemble track that revels in gossip about a middle-age man". Slate critic Chris White attributed the song's Latin music rhythm, Broadway influence, "catchy and tight" melodies, distinct verses, dramatic climax, and mysterious lyrics to its viral success. Tyler Posen of Far Out called it an "incessantly catchy" Latin-pop song with a "stylistically diverse" composition and "exposition-heavy" lyrics that has not prevented it from "achieving the kind of crossover success that 'Let It Go' or 'Beauty and the Beast' couldn't". Chris Molanphy of Slate argued that "We Don't Talk About Bruno" is a great song not only because it is catchy, but because it boasts versatility in sound and lyrics throughout its length, accentuated by the "sense of mystery" behind its titular character that is "enveloping, even if you haven't seen the movie", and its refreshing melodies and composition departing from the formulaic production of Disney songs.
Analysis Mic's Ian Kumamoto called Bruno's situation a "poignant" reminder of how mental illness is treated in families of color, analyzing his rejection from his own family as "not just unfair, but sinister", as Kumamoto interprets the character as having a borderline mental illness or neurodivergence. Kumamoto said that is where the importance of "We Don't Talk About Bruno" comes in: "When you listen to the song closely, the members of the family aren't actually complaining about anything that Bruno has done wrong — they simply don't know what to do with him". Bonnie Jean Feldkamp of Sharon Herald also said it could be argued that Bruno suffers from mental illness, as he exhibits "tics of 'knock-knock-knock on wood' among others".
The song sees various members of Bruno's family sharing their memories of his prophecies and his strange traits. Rompers Jamie Kenney summarized Bruno's fate as a prophet: "it's great when they tell you something you want to hear, but when it's bad news? Well, it's easier to demonize the bearer of that news than accept it". Caroline Cao of /Film shared that sentiment: "The real villain is the family's insecurities, their shame, and their inability to talk out their troubles. In denying these truths, the Madrigals shut out a loved one who was only trying to help".
When the song is performed in the film, a figure resembling Bruno is visible scurrying around in the background. George Chrysostomou of Screen Rant interpreted this as a reflection of where Bruno has been: "While it may seem like a cinematic to add to the musical number, it's actually foreshadowing that Bruno never really left, but instead went into hiding inside his home". Bill Bradley of the same website later argued that since Bruno's eyes were glowing, which only happens when he is making a prophecy, this was likely Camilo (who can shapeshift). The character Dolores, who has the gift of super hearing, reveals at the end of the film that she could hear Bruno in the house the entire time, which she mentions in "We Don't Talk About Bruno" with lines such as "I can hear him now".
Commercial performance "We Don't Talk About Bruno" was an international success. Within a week after Encanto became available to stream on Disney+, the song reached number one on US Spotify, while the music and lyric videos garnered over 30 million views and 10 million views in its first week, respectively. Up to January 7, 2022, it remained the top trending music video on YouTube since its release on December 28, and became a viral sound on the video-sharing app TikTok. It reached number one on the Billboard Global 200 chart dated February 12, 2022.
United States "We Don't Talk About Bruno" topped the Billboard Hot 100, becoming the second number-one song from a Disney animated film, after "A Whole New World" (from Aladdin) by Peabo Bryson and Regina Belle in March 1993. "We Don't Talk About Bruno" was at the number-one spot for five weeks, marking the first-ever song from a Disney film (irrespective of animation or live-action) to top the chart for so many weeks, surpassing "All for Love" (1993) by Bryan Adams, Rod Stewart and Sting, from The Three Musketeers. The single stayed at the top of the chart for five consecutive weeks until it was surpassed by "Heat Waves" by Glass Animals in the issue dated March 12, 2022.