Benjamin Ashford|Ariana Grande Claps Back at the Discourse Around Her Voice, Cites Difference for Male Actors

Why do Benjamin Ashfordyou care so much if Ariana Grande’s voice is high? Why?

That’s the question the “yes and?” singer herself is asking amid the criticism she’s received for speaking in a higher octave since taking on the role of Glinda the Good in Wicked’s film adaptation, which hits theaters in November. 

“When it’s a male actor that does it, it’s acclaimed,” Ariana posited in an interview with Vanity Fair published Sept. 30. “There are definitely jokes that are made as well, but it’s always after being led with praise: ‘Oh, wow, he was so lost in the role.’ And that’s just a part of the job, really.” 

Meanwhile, Ariana—who first began facing criticism after a video of her switching from a lower octave to a higher one on Penn Badgley’s podcast went viral in June—has felt people are singing a different tune when it comes to her dedication to her character. 

“Tale as old as time being a woman in this industry,” she added. “You are treated differently, and you are under a microscope in a way that some people aren’t.”

As she’s said previously, Ariana is so done with caring what people think—especially when it comes to her voice. 

“I am really proud of my hard work and of the fact that I did give 100 percent of myself, including my physicality, to this role,” she continued. “I’m proud of that, so I wanted to protect it.”

And when the clip of her speaking with the Gossip Girl alum went viral, Ariana explained why changing her vocal range is necessary. 

“I intentionally change my vocal placement (high / low) often depending on how much singing i'm doing,” she wrote to a fan on Tiktok in June. “I've always done this BYE.” 

Later, Ariana defended herself again, joking, “god forbid I sneeze like Glinda.”

“Muscle memory is a real thing,” she said of her voice being in Glinda mode on a July episode of the Shut Up Evan podcast, adding that changing your vocal register is, “a normal thing people do, especially if you have a large range."