Ariana Grande explains why her voice might have permanently changed after Wicked role

Ariana Grande’s voice has become a hot topic of debate as of late.

Fans of the chart-topping singer, 31, have claimed that ever since the movie adaptation of Wicked entered production, her voice somewhat changed.

The intrigue surrounding Grande’s voice went into overdrive last year after she went on Penn Badgley’s podcast Podcrushed and appeared to speak in two noticeably different pitches.

As fans claimed the clip was evidence of her ‘natural voice’, this prompted the star to later share a firm response to all the speculation, revealing the real reason why her voice might have changed.

In the comment section of the Instagram upload of the podcast, she bluntly explained: "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."

The Grammy-winner portrays Glinda in Wicked, a role which has been met with acclaim from both fans and critics, including a Golden Globe nomination.

Grande previously explained the process of ‘transforming’ her voice for the role.

"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 told Vanity Fair in September last year.

Ariana Grande has spoken about why her voice is different (Universal Pictures)

But as fans continue to share clips on social media comparing Grande’s ‘old voice’ and her current voice, the singer has once again discussed the way she speaks and revealed that her stint in Wicked might have changed her voice... for good.

“I think that might stay,” she told Variety about what the publication described as her ‘newfound enunciation’. Grande’s current speaking voice appears to be in a higher pitch than before.

“Galinda required a lot of vocal work for me. Certain things maybe won’t melt away,” she explained. “Some will, but I’m really grateful for the pieces that will stay with us forever. What a beautiful thing to be left with, and to feel the ghost of every day.”

Grande further reflected on her voice and said both herself and co-star Cynthia Erivo, who portrays Elphaba, did a lot of work to bring these beloved characters to the big screen.

“Maybe people underestimate how long we spent finding and disappearing into these women,” she added. “So when certain inflections or mannerisms take time to melt away, sometimes people poke fun. But we had a job to do, and we had things to get lost in - because that’s what the piece required.”