Remember way back when you'd listen to your favorite radio station, waiting for that new song you liked to come on so you could record it or when we used to search for songs online so we could burn them onto a CD? Those were the days. We were free to listen to what we wanted to, sing at the top of our lungs, and maybe throw in a little gangster rap with a few cuss words to boot. Life was so, so good. And then we had kids, and it all went to hell.
Spotify recently released its end-of-year Spotify Wrapped lists, and parents have been shook to find out what they actually listened to all year. Sure, you had a little Lizzo, some Bad Bunny, and probably a few Taylor Swift songs thrown in the mix, but many parents realized why we're no longer talking about Bruno: It's because we've heard that song 10,000 times, and we're done. D. O. N. E. Done.
Nothing could prepare parents for what they saw.
It's always fun to look at your "memories" on social media apps and wrap-ups from different sites showing what you did throughout the year. Those things are primarily for you, right? What moms and dads found when they saw their Spotify Wrapped, though, is that their kids are in control.
And those kids basically like to listen to the same five things over and over and over. But you can't blame them. Kids relentlessly ask for their favorite songs until parents can't take it anymore and yell, "Fine!" when they are really thinking, "Will you shut up now?"
One soundtrack in particular dominated minivan speakers.
Do we even have to tell you what that is? If you haven't heard of Mirabel, Louisa, Bruno, and Abuela — who was actually kind of mean — then you likely don't have kids. Or you have some serious ninja skills and you quickly grab the remote while they're scrolling what's new on Disney+.
Encanto was released at the end of 2021, and people were obsessed. According to Billboard, "We Don't Talk About Bruno" spent five weeks at No. 1 on its Hot 100 list.
Bruno "extends its mark for the most weeks at No. 1 on the Hot 100 ever for a hit from a Disney movie – and now claims more weeks on top than the other two leaders from Disney movies combined," Billboard reported.
Parents got more than just Bruno, however.
It wasn't just Encanto that surfaced on Spotify Wrapped lists. Parents found themselves listening to a lot of Disney soundtracks. Those lucky enough to get a break from The Family Madrigal were treated to doses of tunes from Frozen and Moana.
Some parents seemed to be listening to a constant loop of animated movie soundtracks, and looking back, it was pretty maddening for a lot of them.
Many have flocked to TikTok to share their shock.
I mean, is it really that big of a surprise? We have young kids, and we know without checking our Spotify Wrapped that Encanto was No. 1. We know all the words, and for as many times as we have listened to the music, we've watched the movie too.
There are some pretty hilarious reactions out there from parents.
Still, for so many of us, it's clear that these end-of-year lists don't really represent our true musical tastes. Like so many other things as a parent, what can you do?
Would you change it?
Nah, probably not. Did it keep your kids quiet? Check. Prevent the occasional meltdown? Check. Were you able to get a few minutes peace in the bathroom while they sang along to "Service Pressure?" Check. Did you secretly belt it out when your kids weren't in the car because Lin-Manuel Miranda knows how to put out some bangers? Double check.
And let's admit it, we would rather listen to music by the guy who brought us Hamilton than Kidz Bop, which basically ruins our favorite songs.
Here's the way we look at it: Kids are only young for so long. Before you know it, they will have noise-canceling earbuds permanently inserted in their ears and won't be talking to you about Bruno or anyone else. We hear there's a sequel in the works — good luck and godspeed.
