Ariana Grande has recently opened up about the changes to her voice while playing Glinda in Wicked, admitting that the voice she adopted for the role might persist even after her work on the film is completed.
The pop star has received widespread praise for her portrayal of the good witch in the movie-musical, but her vocal transformation has sparked a range of reactions from fans. Many have noticed that her voice sounds much higher-pitched than her usual singing style, seen in hits like “Thank U, Next” and “Side to Side.” One Twitter user remarked, “Ariana’s voice sounds so different…” as the Wicked promotions began to circulate, while another observed, “I haven’t paid much attention to Ariana Grande before this movie but I’ve been watching some of her old videos/interviews and I’m fascinated with how different she sounds and talks compared to now.”
In an interview with Variety, Ariana addressed the criticism, explaining that finding the right voice for the character required significant effort. “Many people underestimate how long we spent finding and disappearing into characters,” she said. “When certain inflections or mannerisms take time to melt away, sometimes people poke fun. But we had a job to do, and we had things to get lost in—because that’s what the piece required.”
This revelation follows earlier comments from Grande in a Vanity Fair interview, where she defended her vocal transformation. She explained, “There is a part of the world that isn’t familiar with what it takes to transform your voice, whether it’s singing or taking on a different dialect for a role or doing a character voice for something.” She also noted how, in her experience, male actors are often praised for making such transformations, whereas women are often subject to more scrutiny. “Tale as old as time being a woman in this industry,” she added. “You are treated differently, and you are under a microscope in a way that some people aren’t.”
Ultimately, Ariana’s reflection on her new voice suggests that it could remain a lasting part of her identity, even as she wraps up her work in Wicked.
