What Else Can I Do?

Album: Encanto (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) (2021)
Charted: 29 27
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • Encanto is a Disney computer-animated movie that follows a multigenerational Colombian family, the Madrigals. They are led by Abuela Alma Madriga, a matriarch whose children and grandchildren – except for the youngest grandchild Mirabel - possess magical powers that help them serve the villagers in their rural community.

    The film features a soundtrack by In the Heights and Hamilton creator Lin-Manuel Miranda. "What Else Can I Do?" is primarily sung by the glamorous Isabela Madrigal (voiced by American actress Diane Guerrero), whose magic gift is making flowers bloom everywhere. The oldest granddaughter of Abuela Alma Madriga, Isabela is considered the golden child of her family, but she secretly struggles to maintain her perfect image.
  • This song takes place just after Isabela has made a cactus. Tired of growing "rows and rows of roses. Flor de mayo, by the mile," she wonders "What Else Can I Do?" She confesses to Mirabel (voiced by Stephanie Beatriz) how the expectation to produce only perfect plants and behave in a glamorous way weighs heavily on her. Isabela wants to grow new and different flowers and be her authentic, imperfect, self.

    I wanna feel the shiver of something new
    I'm so sick of pretty, I want something true, don't you?
  • Lin-Manuel Miranda took inspiration from the '90s rock en español movement. "A lot of my favorite rock songs in the '90s were Spanish rock songs," he told Associated Press. "I was thinking of Shakira and Robby Rosa. It's weirdly a '90s throwback for me, kind of the way that 'Lost In The Woods' is like a great Peter Cetera throwback for (Frozen 2 composer Jonathan) Groff. That was my '90s Rock en Español throwback, it just happens to be in English."

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

James Bond Theme Songs

James Bond Theme SongsMusic Quiz

How well do you know the 007 theme songs?

Dexys (Kevin Rowland and Jim Paterson)

Dexys (Kevin Rowland and Jim Paterson)Songwriter Interviews

"Come On Eileen" was a colossal '80s hit, but the band - far more appreciated in their native UK than stateside - released just three albums before their split. Now, Dexys is back.

Director Wes Edwards ("Drunk on a Plane")

Director Wes Edwards ("Drunk on a Plane")Song Writing

Wes Edwards takes us behind the scenes of videos he shot for Jason Aldean, Dierks Bentley and Chase Bryant. The train was real - the airplane was not.

Metallica

MetallicaFact or Fiction

Beef with Bon Jovi? An unfortunate Spandex period? See if you can spot the true stories in this Metallica version of Fact or Fiction.

Director Paul Rachman on "Hunger Strike," "Man in the Box," Kiss

Director Paul Rachman on "Hunger Strike," "Man in the Box," KissSong Writing

After cutting his teeth on hardcore punk videos, Paul defined the grunge look with his work on "Hunger Strike" and "Man in the Box."

Spooner Oldham

Spooner OldhamSongwriter Interviews

His keyboard work helped define the Muscle Shoals sound and make him an integral part of many Neil Young recordings. Spooner is also an accomplished songwriter, whose hits include "I'm Your Puppet" and "Cry Like A Baby."