Ariana Grande, who will play Glinda in the upcoming film adaptation of Wicked, recently pointed out a mistake regarding the song "Popular" on the movie’s official social media channels. On Wednesday, she commented on a lyric video that had incorrect lyrics, taking a friendly jab at the post.
The video previews Grande’s performance of the beloved song and contained the line, “I’ll teach you the proper poise when you talk to boys,” along with the caption, “We know about popular.”
She responded with a playful message saying, “It’s ploys!!!!!! I love you @wickedmovie.”
This mix-up over the lyrics has been a common issue. On the lyric site Genius, the line is displayed as “proper poise,” while in the original Broadway cast recording, it appears that Kristin Chenoweth, the original Glinda, is actually singing "ploys." Even the official Broadway Wicked YouTube channel reflects this wording.
Universal Music shared with Entertainment Weekly a confirmed lyric sheet, approved by lyricist Stephen Schwartz, stating that “ploys” is indeed the correct phrase.
Grande’s relationship with Chenoweth has been supportive since she was a child. After seeing a Broadway performance, she met Chenoweth, who has since been encouraging. Grande recalls Chenoweth’s warm reaction when she revealed her audition plans, saying, “I was hoping this would happen. I love you, and I trust you with it.”
Wicked, which originally starred Idina Menzel, debuted on Broadway in 2003 and is based on Gregory Maguire’s novel. The musical follows the story of two witches during their time at Shiz University and has garnered significant acclaim, including Tony Awards.
The song “Popular” is particularly tied to Glinda’s character, as she sings about the advantages of being well-liked while giving Elphaba, who later becomes the Wicked Witch, a makeover.
Grande is already receiving praise and Oscar buzz for her role in the film, which has been split into two parts. The first part is set to be released in theaters on November 22 and also features Cynthia Erivo, Jonathan Bailey, Michelle Yeoh, and Jeff Goldblum.
