We’ve all watched different celebrities play roles and do voices that just seem to stick. Think Paris Hilton’s notorious “ditsy” voice that she’s since revealed is an act, and more recently Austin Butler, who has gotten stuck sounding like Elvis since he played the rock legend in the 2022 film Elvis. The latest celeb in the spotlight for this phenomenon is Ariana Grande. Many of her fans have recently started noticing that her voice seems to switch back and forth between a laid-back, deeper-toned voice, and a soft and high-pitched Disney princess-esque voice. But, which one is the real Ari? Or, could it be both? Everyone on the internet wants to know.
In the June 12 episode of Penn Badgley’s podcast, Podcrushed, Grande noticeably — and very quickly — switched between a deeper voice to a much higher and softer tone. It seemed like from one sentence to the next, fans were listening to a new person. The clip went viral on TikTok, and has received a massive response. People in the comments are going off, saying things like “Glinda biting the curb in 4K,” and “wait so which one is her real voice?”
This isn’t the first time fans have noticed a change in Grande’s voice. People also clocked a discrepancy during the 2024 Oscars when she presented the award for best original score. Another example is her 2023 Vogue Beauty Secrets video, in which the inflections of her voice change several times throughout.
Many folks think these changes have to do with Grande’s upcoming role as Glinda in Wicked, the first part of which hit theaters November 27. In this new role, she really leans into that softer and higher pitched voice, as she’s playing the cheery good witch. In an interview with YouTuber Zach Sang on February 26, she spoke about how she really had to take the transformation into Glinda seriously. “I had to completely erase popstar Ari, the person [fans] know so well, because it’s even harder to believe someone as someone else when you’re so branded as one thing,” she said. This led fans to believe she may have erased a little too much of herself, which is why her voice seemed to be changing.
Grande seemingly confirmed this theory while also noting it’s something she’s done not just for this role, but throughout her career. She wrote in the comments, “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 😭 i’ve always done this BYE.”
Grande’s not the only one guilty of changing her voice for her job. There’s a trend on TikTok of people comparing their customer service voice to their regular ones, and it shows something similar, with people switching up how they speak based on their jobs. TBH, it kind of just sounds like Ari is a relatable queen.