Ariana Grande has explained “perplexing” changes to her speaking voice which, after starring in Wicked, fans noticed seemed higher than normal.
During an appearance on the SmartLess podcast on Monday (February 3), the ‘Eternal Sunshine’ singer was asked by co-hosts Jason Bateman, Sean Hayes, and Will Arnett about techniques she employed to protect her voice on tour.
Grande explained that she sometimes shifts to a higher pitch when required to talk for long periods of time, as has happened over the course of the infamously emotional Wicked press tour, which saw Grande and co-star Cynthia Erivo regularly breaking down in tears.
“The thing that I do that perplexes people so much – and it’s just so funny because if you’re a person who uses their voice, you know about this – is if I have a long day of press or if I have to sing, I’ll place [my voice] a little higher,” she said.
“I’ll change my vocal placement to kind of preserve. But that is just something that’s healthy for the voice. It’s just basically pitching your voice up a tiny bit,” she continued.
“It’s just a normal thing for vocalists. But people are like, ‘That’s not her natural voice.’ And I’m like, ‘Well, it is actually, but it’s just a little higher.’ All of it is natural.”
The singer and actress admitted that it draws negative feedback on social media, saying: “It’s so funny because I’ve talked about it a zillion times, and people are still like, ‘Where’s your real voice?’ And I’m like, ‘Well, they all are.’”
She has previously had to defend her tendency to “voice switch”, and last year responded to comments under a viral clip of her on Podcrushed, writing: “I’ve been speaking in a slightly higher placement than I usually speak in because I’ve been doing a lot of interviews and I’m trying to keep my voice healthy,” adding: “I’ve always done this BYE.”
More recently, Grande appeared on the Variety’s Awards Circuit podcast earlier this year and touched on the vocal prep she undertook for her “dream role” as Glinda in Wicked, as well as the new song her character takes on in the second instalment, Wicked: For Good, which is set for release in cinemas November 21.
The ‘Yes, And?‘ singer said playing the pink-loving witch came with a heavy sense of responsibility, and has already admitted it may change her vocals forever, having spent months transforming her voice to sing Glinda’s soprano parts.
“From the moment it was announced, I realised this role would live with me forever,” she explained. “It’s an honour, but it also comes with so much weight. I wanted to do it justice. Glinda isn’t just a character to me — she’s a symbol of growth and love, and I wanted to give her everything I had.”
She also gave fans a hint of what’s to come from Glinda’s new song, written by the Broadway production’s original composer Stephen Schwartz – who her co-star Cynthia Erivo teamed up with to co-write an original track for the sequel.
In a four-star review of Wicked, Nick Levine wrote for NME: “Wicked flags a little in the middle, but not enough to dampen a dramatic climax in which Elphaba and Glinda travel to Oz to meet the fabled Wonderful Wizard (Jeff Goldblum). He and Yeoh sell their brief musical numbers on twinkly charisma, but Erivo and Grande are both vocally extraordinary.”