Ariana Grande Addresses Criticism Of Her Changing Accent

Ariana Grande wants to use her voice for good — no matter what tone she speaks in. In a new Vanity Fair cover story with Wicked co-star Cynthia Erivo, the singer addressed criticisms she received for changing her accent on a recent episode of Penn Badgley’s podcast, Podcrushed.

“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.

In July, a clip of Grande speaking on Podcrushed went viral when the user noticed how she slipped into a different voice register after laughing and interpreted it as inauthentic. She clarified her intent immediately in the comments. “I intentionally change my vocal placement (high/low) often depending on how much singing I’m doing,” she wrote. “I’ve always done this BYE.”

The Double Standard

Speaking to VF, Grande argued that there is a double standard in the entertainment industry in how men and women are treated when they transform for a role, especially when changing their accents and physical appearances. The writer noted Lady Gaga as an example, who is often met with jokes and memes rather than respect for her dedication to her films.

“When it’s a male actor that does it, it’s acclaimed,” Grande argued. “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. 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.”

The star noted how her vocal range has expanded while training to play Glinda in the Wicked films. The writer also confirmed that she used “all registers of her voice” during their interviews. She said her enunciation was better than ever, “popping her p’s and articulating her t’s like a 1940s star with a mid-Atlantic accent.”

Grande added, “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.”