Encanto's breakout song, "We Don't Talk About Bruno," has reached a major milestone to become the biggest Disney song in 29 years. Released in theaters on November 24, 2021, Encanto was a moderate if now minor hit for Disney Animation, which was still having a difficult time bringing family audiences out to the theater. The film grossed $93 million domestically and $228 million worldwide, which was on the lower end of many of Disney's latest animated films.
Disney shortened the theatrical window on Encanto and released it on Disney+ on Christmas Eve, hoping to capitalize on families gathering together for the holidays. The decision paid off as the film found an audience, and the soundtrack blew up with one song, in particular, "We Don't Talk About Bruno," being the runaway hit from the movie. Earlier in January, it reached number 4 on the Billboard charts, tying with "Can You Feel the Love Tonight" from The Lion King and "Colors of the Wind" from Pocahontas. Now, the song has reached an even bigger milestone.
According to Variety, "We Don't Talk About Bruno," is now number 1 on the Billboard 100 Charts and is only the second Disney song to achieve this, the previous one being "A Whole New World" from Aladdin 29 years ago. In addition, the Encanto soundtrack stays atop the Billboard 200 chart for the third time in the last four weeks. For reference, the breakout song from Frozen, "Let It Go," that took the world by storm and became a cultural sensation, only charted as high as number 5.
What makes the success of 'We Don't Talk About Bruno" so impressive is the fact that the song had close to no radio airplay and did not even have a pop version cover like many high-profile Disney songs have had in the past. The song has been a breakout hit thanks to apps like TikTok and music streaming services. It is likely the rise in popularity of the song online is tied closely with the film being made available on Disney+ for a wider audience.
The success of "We Don't Talk About Bruno" caught Disney and the creators by surprise, so much so that Disney didn't even submit the film for consideration for the Best Original Song Oscar since the deadline for submission was before the film's release, so it was unclear how much the song was going to connect with audiences. Even without the award nomination, "We Don't Talk About Bruno" has been a cultural touchstone and will likely go down alongside "Be Our Guest," "When You Wish Upon a Star," or "You've Got a Friend in Me" as one of the most iconic Disney songs. It is safe to say Encanto will likely be a fixture at Disney parks around the world.
Next: Why Encanto's Best Song Just Outdid Frozen's "Let It Go!"
Source: Variety