Ariana Grande says criticism of viral voice-change video 'double standards'
Ariana Grande has responded to criticism over a viral video that appeared to show her switching voices mid-sentence, labeling the attention as a "double standards".
Last month, a clip of the US popstar on the Podcrushed podcast with You actor Penn Badgley went viral on TikTok as Grande began speaking about recording new music in a deeper voice, before shifting to a higher-pitched register.
At the time, Grande addressed the change in the comments section of the video – captioned “the voice change??” – explaining it was due to “habit (speaking like this for two years) and also vocal health”.
“(I) intentionally change my vocal placement (high/low) often depending on how much singing I’m doing,” she said. “I’ve always done this BYE.”
Having already defended herself by explaining that her voice switches were habitual and for “vocal health”, Grande has now reinforced her stance, accusing critics of sexism, claiming men don’t face scrutiny in similar situations.
“I mean, you see male actors.... It’s always after the fact that they’re like, ‘Oh wow, how dedicated to his craft! What an amazing transformation! He’s a brilliant performer!’” she told Evan Ross Katz on the Shut Up Evan podcast.
“And then, god forbid, I sneeze like Glinda or something, or if I make an intonation… it’s just that I’m crazy or ‘Should someone check on her?’ It’s the weirdest thing.”
She explained that voices naturally shift registers during conversation, especially for someone with a wide vocal range like hers. She also linked the change to the vocal techniques she employed while filming Wicked.
It’s not the first time Grande has addressed her speaking voice after similar critiques arose in March when she presented at the 2024 Oscars with her Wicked co-star Cynthia Erivo.
Despite the comments, the two-time Grammy winner has been transparent about altering her voice in preparation for her role as Glinda.
“Prepping for the auditions was like six months — voice lessons every day, acting lessons every day,” she said on The Zach Sang Show in February.
“I trained every day … to transform my voice, even — like, my singing voice — everything about me, I had to deconstruct to prove to them I could handle taking on this other person.”
