Pop sensation Ariana Grande recently addressed criticism about her speaking voice, explaining that she changes her tone intentionally to protect her singing vocals. This revelation came after a clip of her appearance on the Podcrushed podcast went viral on TikTok. In the clip, Grande, speaking with actor Penn Badgley, started talking about recording new music in a deeper voice before shifting to a higher-pitched register.
The TikTok video was captioned “the voice change??” and prompted Grande to clarify in a comment. She explained that the change was due to "habit (speaking like this for two years) and also vocal health." She further elaborated, “I intentionally change my vocal placement (high/low) often depending on how much singing I’m doing. I’ve always done this BYE.”
This isn't the first time Grande has faced criticism about her speaking voice. Similar comments surfaced in March when she presented at the 2024 Oscars with her Wicked co-star Cynthia Erivo. Grande has been open about altering her voice to prepare for her role as Glinda in the upcoming film adaptation of the musical Wicked.
“Prepping for the auditions was like six months — voice lessons every day, acting lessons every day,” Grande said on The Zach Sang Show in February. “I trained every day … to transform my voice, even — like, my singing voice — everything about me, I had to deconstruct to prove to them I could handle taking on this other person.”
During her Podcrushed interview, Grande also teased fans with the promise of new music. Following the release of her seventh studio album, Eternal Sunshine, in March, she hinted at more to come. “I went to the studio the day after the Met (Gala) and stayed for like 10 days and I was literally living there,” she shared. “I’ve been writing a lot, and maybe there’s more. I would like to do a deluxe at some point.”
Adding to the excitement, Grande announced a new remix of her hit track The Boy Is Mine, featuring US singers Brandy and Monica. The original track, released by Brandy and Monica in 1998, remains a fan favourite. “It is near impossible to say how much this means to me,” Grande expressed on Instagram.
Since her debut album in 2013, Ariana Grande has won two Grammy awards and achieved number-one status on her last five consecutive albums in the UK charts. Fans are eagerly anticipating her next big role as Glinda in Wicked, where she will star alongside Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba.
