Ariana Grande Turned Down a Hip-Hop Version of 'Popular'

Here's Why Ariana Grande Said ‘No' to a Hip-Hop Version of ‘Popular' in ‘Wicked'
Critics and fans alike have been raving about Ariana Grande‘s performance as Glinda in the new film adaptation of Wicked. But according to the show's original composer, one of her most pivotal scenes almost sounded very different.
Ariana Grande Shut Down A Hip-Hop Version Of ‘Popular’ But Did OK Another ‘Wicked’ Song Change
In a new Los Angeles Times oral history, Wicked composer and lyricist Stephen Schwartz explains:
Wicked’s Ariana Grande Rejected Offer To Revise ‘Popular’ With More Hip-Hop: ‘Absolutely Not’
Wicked’s Ariana Grande turned down an offer to add more hip-hop to “Popular.” Wicked, which stars Grande as Galinda Upland/Glinda the Good, is now playing in United States theaters. Based on the popular Broadway play of the same name,
Ariana Grande rejected attempts to make "Popular" sound more hip-hop
Let’s, maybe, I don’t know, hip-hop it up a little bit. Ariana said, ‘Absolutely not, don’t do it. I want to be Glinda, not Ariana Grande playing Glinda,'” Schwartz tells The Times. In fact, Grande was so protective of Glinda she didn’t even want to add what became a show-stopping dance break finale to the number.
Did Ariana Grande really make millions more than Cynthia Erivo for ‘Wicked’?
Rumors that Grande, who stars as Glinda in the film, had earned more money than Erivo, who portrays Elphaba, recently surfaced, leading to outrage among fans. Posts circulating on social media claimed Grande received $15 million while Erivo received $1 million.
Listen to Ariana Grande's version of 'Popular' from the 'Wicked' movie
Listen to Ariana Grande's version of "Popular" and Cynthia Erivo's version of "The Wizard and I" from the new "Wicked" movie.
Inside the ‘Wicked’ musical number that could win Ariana Grande an Oscar
Ariana Grande proves herself a 'modern-day Lucille Ball' with 'Popular,' the funniest number in 'Wicked.' The film's creative team explains how it all came together.
A Look Back At Ariana Grande’s Long (Yellow Brick) Road To ‘Wicked’
Ariana Grande is getting rave reviews for her performance in ’Wicked.’ She’s put in the work, beginning when she was a child.
Ariana Grande watches 'Wicked' alongside her Nonna at hometown theater
Ariana Grande turned a "Wicked" screening into a family affair. The star of the production took to Instagram on Monday to share that she flew to her hometown theater in Boca Raton, Florida, to see her new film with her grandmother, Marjorie "Nonna" Grande.
‘Wicked' Team Considered Making ‘Popular' More Hip-Hop. Ariana Grande Refused: ‘Absolutely Not. I Want to Be Glinda, Not Ariana Playing Glinda'
Wicked” composer and lyricist Stephen Schwartz revealed in an interview with the Los Angeles Times that he pitched Ariana Grande on a different version of “Popular” for the film adaptation that she instantly turned down.
Ariana Grande Rejected ‘Wicked’ Composer Stephen Schwartz’s Idea of Wanting to Make a Hip-Hop Version of “Popular”
"Absolutely not, don’t do it. I want to be Glinda, not Ariana Grande playing Glinda," the singer, who stars in the Universal movie adaptation of the musical, said.
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Ariana Grande Turned Down a Hip-Hop Version of 'Popular' in WICKED
Ariana Grande's 'Popular' could have sounded a lot different. In a new piece in the Los Angeles Times, composer/lyricist ...
People Are Just Now Realizing Ariana Grande Is Legit Hilarious Thanks To How Seriously Funny She Is In "Wicked"
Whether it's the wry depth she adds to the musical's opening number "No One Mourns The Wicked" or the full physical comedy ...