Why Lin-Manuel Miranda Pitched ‘We Don’t Talk About Bruno’ From ‘Encanto’ as a ‘Gossip Number’
Whether or not Abuela likes it, everyone is talking about Bruno. Created by Lin-Manuel Miranda, “We Don’t Talk About Bruno” was one of the songs featured in Encanto.
With lyrics describing the mysterious and magical Bruno, Miranda labels “We Don’t Talk About Bruno” as the “gossip number” of Disney’s animated film. Here’s what we know about the chart-topping hit.
Disney’s ‘Encanto’ features original music from Lin-Manuel Miranda
Miranda is an award-winning Broadway actor and songwriter. He went from co-writing the music of Disney’s animated film, Moana to creating the music for Encanto — the story of one magical family living in the Colombian countryside.
The most popular song from the Encanto soundtrack is “We Don’t Talk About Bruno,” a “gossip number” performed by several members of the Madrigal family.
This track earned several TikTok remixes and mashups, some of which combined the Encanto hit with songs from Miranda’s Hamilton. “We Don’t Talk About Bruno” reached over 100 million streams on Spotify. It even surpassed “Let It Go” from Frozen’s success on the Billboard Hot 100.
What is it about Bruno that everyone is talking about?
Bruno is a taboo topic in the Madrigal household. Still, some family members talk about him behind Abuela’s back. That pre-dinner “gossip” present in many households inspired “We Don’t Talk About Bruno.” In the Encanto song, Mirabel asks her Tía Pepa about the unspeakable “family weirdo.”
“I thought we needed to have a gossip number because there are things you talk about at dinner, in the kitchen after people have left, and there are things you don’t talk about in front of Abuela because she doesn’t know these two people are dating,” Miranda said during an interview with Yahoo Entertainment.
“I pitched that tune,” he continued, “and it allowed me to create musical themes for characters who do not necessarily get their solo.”
This song’s impact lasted on and off the screen. Abuela and the other family members eventually welcomed Mirabel’s uncle back to the house. Bruno even mentioned that “there’s a lot to say about Bruno.”
Other popular songs from Disney’s ‘Encanto’ included ‘The Family Madrigal’ and ‘Surface Pressure’
As a musical, this film featured solo songs performed by members of the magical Madrigal family. One of the most popular was “Surface Pressure,” which told the story of Mirabel’s older sister. Luisa’s hit earned over 65 million Spotify plays since its debut.
Isabela performed “What Else Can I Do.” Even Mirabel’s solo song, “Waiting on a Miracle,” told the audience more about this character. Miranda even intentionally wrote the music in a different time signature. However, not every character had a solo song in Encanto.
For that reason, Miranda included characters like Dolores, Pepa, and Camilo in “We Don’t Talk About Bruno.” In this track, fans learned more about the characters and their magical abilities. The first Encanto song, “The Family Madrigal,” uses Mirabel’s lyrics to introduce viewers to this family.
