The Family Madrigal may not be too keen on speaking about their oft-maligned member Bruno, but at the 2022 Oscars, the cast of Encanto certainly had plenty to say — with some help from superstar guest Megan Thee Stallion.
During Sunday evening’s ceremony (March 27), five members of the film’s cast — comprised of Adassa, Stephanie Beatriz, Mauro Castillo, Carolina Gaitán and Diane Guerrero — offered their first-ever live performance of the Billboard chart-topping song “We Don’t Talk About Bruno.” Introduced by John Leguizamo — who scolded them for not letting him sing — Gaitán appeared in the audience with a guitarist, with her five fellow cast members eventually joining her, walking through the crowd.
But in a sudden surprise twist, the camera panned to reveal Megan Thee Stallion, standing in a brilliant gold dress and ready to give viewers a brand new version of the chart-topping song. Adding her own new verse to the tune, Megan rapped about the three funny women hosting — Amy Schumer, Wanda Sykes and Regina Hall, as well as Zendaya — before eventually declaring that she was ready for a statue of her own. “Believe I’m up next/ I’m coming for that gold,” she spit directly into the camera. “You can add it to my shelf/ Academy Award”
As the stage opened up behind Megan, stars Becky G and Luis Fonsi suddenly appeared onstage surrounded by a bevy of dancers in multicolored outfits, as they offered up their own altered lyrics of the song’s opening verse, singing about the Oscars ceremony around them. Eventually, everyone joined them in singing, “We’re here to celebrate Oscar,” in place of the song’s title.
Before even making it to the Oscars, “We Don’t Talk About Bruno” already made history earlier this year, when it topped the Billboard Hot 100 for five consecutive weeks. “Bruno” became the second song from a Disney film to ever top the chart, and the first time in 29 years that a soundtrack and corresponding song topped both the Hot 100 and the Billboard 200, since Whitney Houston’s “I Will Always Love You” and the rest of The Bodyguard‘s soundtrack topped both charts in 1992 and 1993.
“Bruno” was not the only Encanto performance at the 2022 Oscars — Sebastian Yatra took to the stage earlier in the evening to perform the emotional Oscar-nominated “Dos Oruguitas” from the film. Up for best original song, “Oruguitas” is composer Lin-Manuel Miranda’s second chance to earn an EGOT since his song “How Far I’ll Go” from the Disney film Moana was nominated in 2017.
