Wait, Is Ariana Grande Going To Talk Like Glinda Forever Now?
She's been bewitched.
The Austin Butler school of accents has a new student: Ariana Grande. Well, not officially; though, she could be an ideal candidate. Ever since Grande retired the airy tone of Victorious’ Cat Valentine in 2014, her speaking voice has been a hot topic on social media. Her voice has seemingly changed over the years, ranging from a deep cadence to an almost whispery sweet one. Now, some people believe her recent role as Wicked’s Glinda has given her a new (and maybe full-time) accent.
At the 2024 Oscars, Grande presented the Original Song and Score award alongside her Wicked co-star, Cynthia Erivo. As the two not-so-subtly joked about their upcoming characters in their speech, many people noticed how soft spoken Grande’s voice was. It almost has a theatrical, cleanly enunciated bounce to it — similar to her voice as Glinda in the film’s latest trailer.
One user on X (formerly known as Twitter) compared this moment to Butler’s voice saga of 2023. Shortly after transforming into Elvis for Baz Luhrmann’s 2022 film, Butler spent all of last year’s awards season trying to shake off the late singer’s Southern drawl. It seemed he recently broke the accent spell this year; however, the fact still stands it took almost two years for his voice to return to normal.
With that in mind, there’s no telling how long Grande’s vocal evolution as Glinda will last. She’s dedicated her time to Wicked (which will release in November) for two years, and the film will be split into two parts, possibly calling for a longer promotional run. Yeah, it’s a lot.
Even Grande’s aware of her voice, as she recently spoke about the physical changes she went through to become Oz’s pink witch. In her March 7 interview with Apple Music’s Zane Lowe, the Positions singer revealed how she prepared for the film through method acting. She is a theatre kid, after all.
“I tried to put music as far from my brain as humanly possible while I was working on Wicked, because I think in order to fully give myself to Glinda, I needed to put that in a box in a big way,” she said, her voice notably Glinda-fied. “From the way I sing to the way I speak, everything had to be different for a long time so I can be present.”
Grande’s Wicked accent can be heard in her new music, too. On her Yours Truly re-release, her vocals are impressively light compared to her previous releases. That essence carried over to her latest album, Eternal Sunshine, where she traded her signature belts for softer and dreamier high notes. Not to mention, many fans believe her time as Glinda improved her infamously slurry enunciation. Luckily, her iconic “yuh’s” haven’t changed one bit.
So, will Grande continue to channel her inner Glinda this year? Maybe so.
