Ariana Grande says her role in Wicked changed her life — both personally and artistically — reigniting her passion for music and inspiring her to create again.
In a new interview with Evan Ross Katz on the Shut Up Evan podcast, published Friday, October 24, the 32-year-old pop star opened up about how filming Wicked became a turning point in her career.
“I felt like a genuine spark, like a reconnection and inspiration — something I maybe missed,” Grande shared. “Maybe it’s as simple as I missed it. But I do feel like you have to miss things in order to learn how to become better, you know what I mean? I learned so much. And I genuinely wanted to do it. I just felt like I couldn’t not. It was an inspired moment and I had to write an album — I had to do it.”
Despite a demanding shooting schedule, Grande revealed that the Wicked production team warned her about upcoming reshoots in January — but she refused to let that stop her from creating new music. “I said, great, that’s fine. I’ll finish it before then, or I’ll finish it after,” she recalled.
Her resulting project, Eternal Sunshine, saw Grande reunite with powerhouse producers Max Martin and Ilya, earning her a nomination for Best Pop Vocal Album at the 2025 Grammy Awards.
Grande stars in the two-part Wicked film adaptation as Glinda “Galinda” Upland, opposite Cynthia Erivo’s Elphaba. When Katz asked whether she struggled to find her rhythm again after filming was paused amid the 2023 Hollywood strikes, Grande said the transition was seamless.
“No, it was there. There was nothing to find,” she explained. “It was so strange — I thought it might feel weird. But as soon as I got there, it was like, done. She was right there. It was wonderful, thank God.”
Wicked premiered in November 2024, enchanting audiences and critics alike, while the sequel — Wicked: For Good — is set to hit theaters on November 21, 2025.
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