Ariana Grande was not going to let the original Wicked song “Popular” turn into a hip-hop version.
Stephen Schwartz, the composer and lyricist of the original Broadway show — which debuted in 2003 and is now a hit feature film from Universal — wanted to change Glinda’s big song for the movie version. Onstage, “Popular” has been performed with two beds and features Glinda’s high-pitched voice and bubbly personality as she fixes Elphaba’s hair and shows her how to flirt. But, Schwartz wanted to try something new for the film, in which Ariana Grande plays Glinda opposite Cynthia Erivo’s Elphaba.
“In the spirit of being open to new things for the movie, my music team and I thought, let’s refresh the rhythm. Let’s, maybe, I don’t know, hip-hop it up a little bit,” Schwartz told the Los Angeles Times. However, he recalled Grande rejected the idea saying, “’Absolutely not, don’t do it. I want to be Glinda, not Ariana Grande playing Glinda.’”
Schwartz previously added to Time that Grande was adamant that they would stay true to the original, adding that changes to “Popular” needed to come from Glinda’s motivations. “She does little inventive things within it, but I think they are strongly character-based,” Schwartz said. “That was something she was very insistent on.”
Schwartz also recalled Wicked’s extended ending of the song, which was something Grande was initially hesitant to perform. However, when he explained to Grande that it was something Glinda would do, she was “wholeheartedly” on board.
Christopher Scott, the choreographer, told the Los Angeles Times about the small nods Grande wanted to include in her performance to show respect to the original Glinda on Broadway, Kristin Chenoweth.
“This whole ‘communicators’ [motion where Grande raises her arms], that physicality was her paying homage to Kristin Chenoweth in a way,” Scott said. “I was so grateful for that, to have an actor who has that much love and care for not just the character she’s playing, but the whole Wicked legacy.”
Grande has made it known that playing Glinda was her lifelong dream. Director Jon M. Chu told The Hollywood Reporter that he was initially hesitant about casting Grande because he thought Wicked was “too big” to also have a massive pop star on top of it. “There was no way Ariana Grande, who had never led a movie, could do this,” Chu said.
Chu admitted that Grande “didn’t win the role the first time” she auditioned. However, as she kept coming back for more auditions, Grande continued to surprise Chu with her understanding of the role and comedic ability. Chu recalled saying, “’She’s so funny. She’s the most interesting person in the room.’ We kept bringing her back.”
Chu continued to explain how Grande showed up one day and fully embodied the character. “Her voice was different. The way she walked was different. I have never seen anyone change like that. She earned this thing like no other.”
Wicked was released in theaters on Nov. 22 and has already defied gravity at the box office. From opening weekend, the film estimated $114 million domestically, the biggest box office launch of all time for a Broadway adaptation.
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