Grande has expressed pride in her work as Glinda in Wicked, noting that she worked hard
Ariana Grande has responded to criticism she received for adapting her voice to play Glinda in the film adaptation of the Broadway musical Wicked. In an interview with Vanity Fair, the singer called the reactions to her vocal and physical changes to play the character sexist. According to Grande, audiences tend to applaud male actors for their vocal transformations, while female actors are often treated differently.
Ariana Grande Thinks Her Voice Changed for the Better in Wicked
The controversy erupted after a clip from the podcast Podcrushed surfaced, showing the singer’s voice sounding lighter and more airy than her usual style. The difference has generated negative comments on social media, to which Grande responded via TikTok, explaining that she intentionally modulates her voice depending on the needs of the song or the moment in Wicked. The singer said that many people don’t understand the work that goes into adapting your voice for a role, whether it’s singing or taking on a new dialect or vocal timbre. She went on to point out that, in the case of male actors, these transformations are often praised, while women are judged more harshly.
Grande expressed pride in her commitment to playing Glinda in Wicked, noting that she worked hard to perfect every aspect of the performance, including her physicality, and that she wants to protect her hard work from unconstructive criticism.
“It’s been really hard mentally to navigate the ups and downs of my career,” Grande said. “I started out as this fun, redheaded girl on Nickelodeon that everyone loved. Then, with too many hits in music, I suddenly became this evil diva. More terrible things happened and suddenly I was seen as a hero or a victim. It took me a lot of work to last this long and heal my relationship with fame, especially because of the tabloids that have been trying to destroy me since I was 19. But you know what? I’m 31 now, I’m not perfect, but I’m deeply good and proud of the person I’m becoming. I will never let mean, unreliable tabloids ruin my life or my sense of what’s real and good.”
The actress also reflected on how the criticism she’s received has changed throughout her career. She recalled going from a beloved young star on shows like Victorious and Sam & Cat to becoming a successful actress and working on Wicked.
Source: indiewire