I chuckled when I heard that the top song on the Billboard 100 was “We don’t talk about Bruno” (video) from Disney’s Encanto.
There’s been a lot of good analysis as to how this happened. There’s a lot of truth to all the trends that contributed to making this happen.
But the one thing that has been undeniable is the impact these songs have had on our households and in households like ours.
It was amazing to see a Disney movie with so many recognizable elements – a deep story, many songs, and a theme that revolved around the importance of family – that still managed to strike a very different chord from many others.
The protagonist was a strong female character – but not a Princess. The songs were intense – thanks to the genius of Lin Manuel Miranda threading together complex rap-like lyrics while moving the plot forward was evident.
Art, music, and movies have a powerful impact on our culture. And it is always amazing to see Disney hold the bar high by delivering laughs, enjoyment, and thought-provoking content every step of the way. It is no wonder that 11 out of the 15 most streamed movies in 2021 were all Disney (source: Nielsen).
A predictable and worthy side-effect of shipping good product.
