“What Else Can I Do?” by Diane Guerrero & Stephanie Beatriz
Lyric-by-lyric, “What Else Can I Do? ” wouldn’t necessarily be a generally applicable song but rather one derived from a particular movie. Thus the vocalists are not singing from their own personal perspectives but rather from that of the characters they are portraying. And truth be told, I have yet to watch said movie, Encanto, on this end.
But what is known is that within the film Isabela (Diane Guerrero), who can be deemed the primary vocalist of this song, is the elder sibling of the other vocalist, Mirabel (Stephanie Beatriz). And apparently Isabela is the type who is held in high esteem. Resultantly, it would seem, Mirabel is stricken with a serious case of perfectionism. So from this point forward, if you too haven’t seen the movie, then let it be known that there’s some spoilers in this analysis.
The Lyrics of “What Else Can I Do?”
Encanto is a film that centers on a family of characters who possess superpowers. In the case of Isabela, she can make flowers grow. And as a premise to this piece, as a result of being angry with Mirabel, Isabela for the first time ever brings forth a cactus as opposed to a flower.
Cacti of course are not as aesthetically-appealing as flowers are. So as implied in the first verse Isabela is torn between keeping or discarding the plant. She views that it is not as “symmetrical or perfect” as a flower is but is still “beautiful” nonetheless, on top of being something that was brought forth by her own doing.
So in the second verse Mirabel is telling Isabela that she should in fact embrace the cactus. Now what all of this is actually speaking to, once again, is Isabela’s perfectionism. She cannot wholly embrace the plant, because in her eyes it isn’t “perfect”.
So what is being insinuated is that Mirabel truly loves her, i.e. making an attempt to help her sis overcome what is in reality a psychological malady. And in fact in the third verse, Isabela reveals her need to appear perfect is basically a guise to conceal the reality of her personal situation, which is that she’s apparently depressed or what have you.
Takeaway
So basically, this song revolves around an epiphany moment in the development of Isabela’s superpowers. Unintentionally, she has learned that she cannot only produce flowers but plants also. So then, as illustrated by the title, that begs the question of ‘what else can she do’?
And more specifically, the production of the cactus was the result of her being angry at the moment she brought it forth. So the grander question is that if she were allowed to feel as she will, as opposed to being compelled to put on a smiling face for others, what can Isabela truly achieve in the grand scheme of things?
Or as put forth in the pre-chorus, she has grown “sick of [the] pretty” life and is now desiring “something new”. And Mirabel is encouraging her like yes, let it all hang out.
In conclusion, it can be argued that the reason the soundtrack of Encanto has experienced so much mainstream success is because of one thing. And that is because its songs/characters, despite being plot-specific, speak to the wider human experience. In that regard, Isabela does come off as your classic repressed young female, someone who, even beyond her dedication to perfection, feels for one reason or another that she has to keep her true desire for freedom pent-up. But now, it would appear that her time has come. And luckily for the cause, she also has a loved one who has her back.
Diane Guerrero and Stephanie Beatriz
Diane Guerrero is an actress from Boston, and Stephanie Beatriz, who is engaged in the same profession, grew up in Texas. Both are of Colombian parentage (both parents for the former and one for the latter). And presumably relatedly they managed to be cast in Encanto, an animated film based in Colombia that Disney put out in 2021.
Therein, Beatriz voices the role of “Mirabel Madrigal”, who is the main character of the movie. Guerrero portrays her older sister, “Isabela Madrigal”. Also as you’re likely already aware, straight-up Disney flicks like this one tend to be musicals.
Release Date of “What Else Can I Do?”
“What Else Can I Do?” was released as part of the soundtrack to Encanto, courtesy of Walt Disney Records, on 19 November 2021.
Song’s Success
The soundtrack to Encanto has perhaps proven to be the most critically-acclaimed album to come from a cartoon ever. And as far as this particular song goes, it has made it onto the top 30 of the Billboard 100. This is in addition to being certified RIAA gold about three months after release.
Credits for “What Else Can I Do?”
This track was written and co-produced by Lin-Manuela Miranda. Lin-Manuela is a theatrical musician from Manhattan, who was in charge of holding down the musical responsibilities for Encanto. And the other co-producer is Mike Elizondo, a behind-the-scenes’ music man. Oddly enough given the general nature of the movie, Mike has experienced his most success in gangsta rap circles (i.e. being affiliated with Dr. Dre and turn-of-the-century Aftermath Records). Both Miranda and Elizondo are also of Latino descent.
Encanto (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
This soundtrack album was released on the 19th of November, 2021. The computer-animated film as well as its soundtrack album was produced and released through Walt Disney.
A team of highly acclaimed producers including Elizondo, Miranda, Tom MacDougall and Germaine Franco have been credited with the album’s production.
“Encanto” has been made available in 46 languages including English and Spanish.
The soundtrack album debuted at No. 197 on the Billboard 200, gradually journeying atop the chart and eventually spending eight weeks at No. 1. It became the first No. 1 soundtrack from Walt Disney after “Frozen II” of 2019. Aside from its position on the Billboard 200, it was found at the apex of charts in Canada, UK and New Zealand. It ranked top-10 in the following countries:
- Norway
- Spain
- Germany
- Belgium
- Australia
- Austria
In February of 2022, the RIAA gave “Encanto” a Gold certification in the US. In addition to “What Else Can I Do?”, some other notable hits from the album include:
