Ariana Grande defends her voice transformation for ‘Wicked’

Embracing the role of Glinda

Ariana Grande, known for her powerful vocals and pop hits, recently graced the cover of Vanity Fair alongside her “Wicked” co-star Cynthia Erivo. The Grammy-winning artist, who stars as Glinda the Good in the upcoming two-part Universal musical, addressed the criticism surrounding her lighter, breathier speaking voice during and after filming.

The art of voice transformation

Grande explained the complexities involved in altering one’s voice for a role, whether it involves singing, adopting a different dialect, or creating a character voice. “There is a part of the world that isn’t familiar with what it takes to transform your voice,” she noted. The internet has often trolled her for her airier Glinda voice, but Grande emphasized that such transformations are a significant part of an actor’s craft.

“When it’s a male actor that does it, it’s acclaimed,” she added. “There are definitely jokes that are made as well, but it’s always after being led with praise: ‘Oh, wow, he was so lost in the role.’ And that’s just a part of the job, really. Tale as old as time being a woman in this industry. You are treated differently, and you are under a microscope in a way that some people aren’t.”

Social media backlash and response

The criticism of Grande’s speaking voice reached a peak over the summer when a clip of her shifting between different vocal registers during an interview on Penn Badgley’s “Podcrushed” podcast went viral. In response, Grande took to TikTok to address the mockery, explaining, “I intentionally change my vocal placement (high/low) often depending on how much singing I’m doing. I’ve always done this BYE.”

Grande expressed her pride in her vocal work to Vanity Fair, stating, “Part of why I did want to engage [on TikTok] is because I am really proud of my hard work and of the fact that I did give 100% of myself, including my physicality, to this role. I am proud of that, so I wanted to protect it.”

Navigating public perception

This isn’t the first time Grande has had to contend with public scrutiny. Reflecting on her career, she shared, “The back-and-forth throughout the course of my career has been really hard to navigate mentally. I was this approachable, funny redhead on Nickelodeon and everyone liked me. And then I had one too many hit records, and everyone decided that I was an evil diva. And then other terrible things happened, and all of a sudden I was this hero and this victim.”

Grande continued, “Honestly, it’s taken me a lot of hard work to be able to last this long and to heal certain parts of my relationship to fame and to what I do because of these tabloids that have been trying to destroy me since I was 19 years old. But you know what? I’m 31 years old and I’m not a perfect person, but I am definitely deeply good, and I’m proud of who I’m becoming. I will never let disreputable evil tabloids ruin my life or my perception of what is real and good.”

Looking forward to ‘Wicked’

Fans eagerly await the release of “Wicked,” which opens in theaters on November 22. Grande’s dedication to her role as Glinda showcases her commitment to her craft and her resilience in the face of criticism.

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