Ariana Grande is responding after fans said she can’t seem to shake the influence her “Wicked” character, Glinda, has had on her voice.
At one point in the June 17 episode of “Podcrushed,” hosted by Penn Badgley, Nava Kavelin and Sophie Ansari, Grande appears to change her voice intonation, slipping into a high-pitched Glinda tone.
On June 18, Grande commented on the TikTok post of the video to explain the abrupt change in pitch, calling it a “habit” done to preserve her “vocal health.”“habit (speaking like this for two years) and also vocal health :) i intentionally change my vocal placement (high / low) often depending on how much singing i’m doing,” she wrote, adding the crying emoji. “i’ve always done this BYE.”
Before the response from the “Wicked” star, TikTok users poked fun at the clear change-up, writing, “GLINDA LET HER GO.”
Another wrote, “Me switching to my customer service voice at work.”
“SHES STILL IN THERE,” another wrote of her deeper tone.
Others were more supportive, writing, “i feel her “glinda voice” is easier on her vocals than her “normal voice” but glinda is also a big part to her.”
Fans expressed a similar sentiment after listening to Grande present at the 2024 Oscars.
The singer took the stage with Cynthia Erivo, who plays Elphaba, Glinda’s rival-turned-friend in the movie musical adaptation, set to release in November.
Wearing a pouffy pink dress, the singer’s delivery was soft spoken.
At the time, fans took to social media to point out that it seemed Grande’s voice was higher pitched than her natural one.
They also compared the change to Austin Butler adopting Elvis Presley’s voice for the 2022 film, “Elvis.” Butler worked with a vocal coach for the movie and said in interviews that he actually struggled to shake off the voice even after filming.
“Austin Butler Elvis voice but it’s Ariana Grande Galinda voice,” writer Esther Zuckerman wrote on X.
“Oh no Austin Butler look what you did to Ariana’s voice,” another X user wrote.
“Someone needs to make Ariana Grande stop speaking in her Glinda voice. It’s too soon for another Austin Butler situation,” another wrote.
Grande has also noted that she “transformed” her singing voice for the role.
The singer said she worked “every day” to “transform my voice, even — like, my singing voice — everything about me,” she said in an interview with Zack Sang. “I had to deconstruct to prove to them I could handle taking on this other person.”
Fans have tracked the evolution of Grande’s speaking voice since she rose to prominence as a public figure. Other Oscar viewers who didn’t connect the voice with “Wicked” still noticed a change.
“Did Ariana Grande adapt a new voice?” an X user wondered.
