Is Ariana Grande Quitting Pop Music?

Ariana Grande is moving away from her life as a pop star... sort of.

In an interview on the Las Culturistas podcast with Matt Rogers and her Wicked co-star Bowen Yang, Grande revealed where she sees herself in her career moving forward.

Though she still wants to make music, it won't be at the same frequency because she wants to continue acting.

"I'm gonna say something so scary – it's gonna scare the absolute s--t out of my fans and everyone, but I love them, and they'll deal, and we'll be here forever," she began.

"I’m always going to do 'pop stuff,' pinky promise, but I don’t think doing it at the rate I’ve been doing it for the past 10 years is where I see myself for the next 10. I love acting, I love musical theater," she revealed.

"[Musical theater] is my heart," she added.

READ MORE: Why Ariana Grande Is Credited Under a Different Name for 'Wicked'

Grande got her start in show business in the 2008 musical 13: The Musical before starring on Nickelodeon's Victorious.

"Reconnecting with this part of myself who started in musical theater, and who loves comedy, and it heals me to do that — finding roles to use these parts of myself and put them in little homes and characters and bits and voices and songs," Grande went on.

"Whatever makes sense, or whatever roles we see fit, or where I could really do a good job or honor the material, I would really love to. I think it’s a lot better for me. I’m getting emotional," she said.

The star dropped her most recent album, eternal sunshine, in March 2024 to rave reviews from fans and critics.

Before that, she took a four-year break while preparing for and filming Wicked, but she alluded to the fact that a less-than-enthusiastic response to her 2020 album Positions may have contributed to her step back from the music industry.

"I got a little 'this is not what we want vibes' […] I remember that put me in a cage of judging every single piece, I scrapped so many things that I was going to put out," she shared.

"And now people love it like it’s the best thing I’ll ever make! What is that? How is that fair? But I love them for it," she added.