Did Ariana Grande Change Her Voice? She Reacts to Speculation
Ariana Grande may be a Grammy Award-winning singer, but that is not the only news the songstress’s voice has been in the headlines about. Fans have noticed the “7 Rings” singer speak in different tones throughout her career, garnering various voice-changing theories among fans.
Why Do Fans Believe Ariana Grande Changed Her Voice?
While Ariana has faced voice-changing rumors throughout her career, the Wicked star went viral in June 2024 after fans noticed she completely changed the inflection and pitch of her voice midsentence during her appearance on Penn Badgley’s podcast.
“That’s the only thing I thought of,” Ariana said in a deep voice as she joked that she felt like Austin Powers while recording new projects. “That’s how I felt. I was like, ‘What has happened?’”
As she pivoted to discuss the new music following the March release of her album Eternal Sunshine, her voice noticeably started getting much higher. “Yeah, I don’t know. Yeah, I’ve been writing a lot,” she said in a higher pitch. “Maybe there’s some more. I would like to do a deluxe at some point.”
Social media exploded with questions about the singer allegedly “faking” the true sound of her voice, while others defended the pop star, arguing that she was simply “protecting” her vocal cords.
What Has Ariana Grande Said About Changing Her Voice?
Ariana directly addressed the controversy surrounding her voice in the comments section of a video posted on TikTok from her appearance on Penn Badgley’s podcast.
“Habit (speaking like this for two years) and also vocal health :),” the Nickelodeon alum wrote on June 18. “I intentionally change my vocal placement (high / low) often depending on how much singing i’m doing. i’ve always done this BYE.”
The Victorious alum later faced more controversy after changing her voice for her reprisal of Glinda in the November 2024 movie adaptation of Wicked. However, Ariana clapped back that month in an interview for the November 2024 cover of Vanity Fair, telling the outlet there was a “double standard” that punished women who “go the extra miles for roles.”
“There is a part of the world that isn’t familiar with what it takes to transform your voice, whether it’s singing or taking on a different dialect for a role or doing a character voice for something,” she explained. “When it’s a male actor that does it, it’s acclaimed … Tale as old as time being a woman in this industry. You are treated differently, and you are under a microscope in a way that some people aren’t.”
“It’s something that I’m just really proud of,” she explained of her role of Glenda in Wicked. “Part of why I did want to engage [on TikTok] is because 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. I am proud of that, so I wanted to protect it.”