The song is an ensemble number performed by some of the film's voice cast members: mainly Carolina Gaitán, Mauro Castillo [es], Adassa, Rhenzy Feliz, Diane Guerrero and Stephanie Beatriz, and a few others in minor roles.

"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.

"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 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[1] and Sony Pictures' Vivo.

[2][note 1] 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".

[11] Romper's 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".

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".

[15] 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".

[3] 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.

[13] 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".

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.

"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.

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.

[30] The following week, "We Don't Talk About Bruno" surged to number five, with 25.2 million streams, earning all of its six credited artists their first top 10 entries on the chart.

Miranda also garnered his first top 10 writing credit; he previously reached number 20 in October 2017 as both an artist and writer with "Almost Like Praying", a charity single.

Various reporters and musicologists published articles "trying to explain how a Broadway-style ensemble song from an animated feature, sung by mostly Colombian vocalists with no hitmaking experience, managed to scale the charts".

[41] The Atlantic critic Spencer Kornhaber wrote the song has all of the features that appeals to TikTok: "theatricality, specificity, humor, surprise, and an invitation to roleplay.

"[10] Vox's Aja Romano said the song relies heavily on its musical's context, which differentiates it from "typical Disney chart-toppers" such as "Can You Feel the Love Tonight" (1994) and "Colors of the Wind" (1995) that "were intentionally generic in order to serve as marketable hits for their films.

Instead, "Dos Oruguitas" was submitted for Encanto,[note 2] which Davis said may have been "the safer bet" for award strategists, due to it resonating emotionally with audiences.

[1] "We Don't Talk About Bruno" topped the Billboard Hot 100 in its fifth week of charting and did so with negligible airplay and did not have a pop radio version like many other Disney songs have had in the past, propelled by its Internet popularity.