‘Wicked’ Stars Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande in Love, Despite the Rumors and Flying High

Grande is right wrap up today’s music video shoot at 4am or later. We’re at a secret outdoor location in LA where the photo shoot will start at midnight. But Grande was there since early afternoon, practicing in full hair and makeup, and working with her stylist, Mimi Cuttrell, to find the perfect outfit. When I arrived around 11:30 pm, she stepped out of her rickshaw to greet me. “It’s so trippy,” she said of the photo shoot, then twirled around in the floor-length pink satin dress she and Cuttrell wore.

From her childhood on Broadway to her days as a Nickelodeon star to her debut as a solo artist at age 18, Grande has always remained true to herself. After seven studio albums, all those hits—including the synth-pop Robyn-esque breakup song “We Can’t Be Friends (Wait for Your Love)”—and several circuit tours world, she is one of the biggest pop stars on the planet. As of this writing, she has nearly 100 million more followers on Instagram than Taylor Swift.

We head to the studio and Grande tells me about the shoot: the camera angles, the importance of the setting, and how it all fits in with the other “short films” she plans to shoot. Eternal sunshine, concept album in which she handled her divorce by Dalton Gomez. Her involvement behind the scenes is a far cry from her experience above sinister, where she has the luxury of simply being an actress. “We don’t really watch the dailies,” Grande said earlier about making the film. “We never watched the replay. It’s also very unlike me, because when I make a music video, I watch it everything.”

In between filming the video, Grande regularly met with director Christian Breslauer to review the footage. “We basically had to make it cutable—make it look like a single shot,” she told me. “So I had to land in the same spot, and the camera had to land in the same spot—and we had two perfect spots. We will try one more time just in case.” Soon she will return to the studio. On the way, I heard her soprano voice echoing from afar.

Grande’s calling card, Her trump card, her unassailable asset, is her voice. There’s a reason she was asked to sing “(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman” at Aretha Franklin’s funeral. So it’s ironic—unreasonable, actually – not long ago she was criticized for the way she spoke. EQUAL sinister promotion began rolling out, fans noticed her speaking in a higher, softer soprano voice compared to her naturally deeper voice. Last summer a clip of Grande on Penn Badgley’s Podcrushed went viral when people accused Grande of switching to a different register after she started laughing. Grande eventually addressed the allegations in a TikTok comment: “I often intentionally change my vocal position (high/low) depending on how hard I sing,” she wrote. “I’ve always done this goodbye.”

Grande admits that it’s been difficult to navigate this breakdown: “There’s a part of the world that’s unfamiliar with what it takes to transform your voice, whether it’s singing or using a different dialect for a role.” Act or voice a character. for something.” There is also a double standard that punishes women who do their best to fulfill a role. (See also: Gaga, Lady.) “When a male actor does it, it’s applauded,” Grande said. “There were definitely jokes made, but it was always led by compliments: ‘Oh, wow, he’s so into the role.’ And that’s really just part of the job.” I can’t help but think of Austin Butler’s Oscar-nominated performance in Elvis. “The old story about a woman in this industry,” she said. “You’re treated differently and you’re put under the microscope in a way that some people aren’t.”

For recording, throughout our interviews, conversations, and voice notes — she likes to send voice notes — Grande uses all the registers of her voice. If there’s anything that stands out, it’s the sharpness she displays these days that makes her stand out P‘s and stated her tlike a 1940s star with a Mid-Atlantic accent. This may have been an overcorrection after years of being told she mumbled while singing. Or maybe she’s still Glinda-ing. Either way, she’s happy with the results.

“It’s something I’m really proud of,” Grande said of her voice. “Part of why I wanted to participate [on TikTok] is because I’m really proud of my hard work and the fact that I gave 100% of myself, including my physicality, to this role. I’m proud of it so I want to protect it.”