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, the film is the first chapter in a two-part adaptation. Wicked: Part Two will be released in theaters next November.
Stephen Schwartz created the music and lyrics for the original Wicked Broadway show. He then served as a composer, lyricist, and executive producer on the Jon M. Chu-directed film.
Speaking with the Los Angeles Times, Schwartz revealed that he initially thought about changing one of the show’s most noteworthy songs, “Popular,” for the film; however, Grande told him not to do it.
What did Stephen Schwartz say about Wicked, “Popular,” and Ariana Grande?
“In the spirit of being open to new things for the movie, my music team and I thought, let’s refresh the rhythm,” Schwartz recalled. “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.’”
Cinematographer Alice Brooks also noted, “‘Popular’ is the first song we shot. The challenge was that we wanted this huge, grand number, but we’re in this very tight, intimate dorm room — our smallest set by far. One night, I woke up suddenly and thought, the sun needs to always rise for Glinda and set for Elphaba. So ‘Defying Gravity’ is one long sunset, and “Popular” is one long sunrise. We put a skylight in the dorm’s dome ceiling so the sun could be our spotlight.”
Along with Grande, Wicked stars Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba Thropp, Jonathan Bailey as Fiyero Tigelaar, Michelle Yeoh as Madame Morrible, Jeff Goldblum as the Wonderful Wizard of Oz, Ethan Slater as Boq Woodsman, Marissa Bode as Nessarose Thropp, and Peter Dinklage as the voice of Dr. Dillamond.
