Yahoo Lifestyle Ariana’s Pop Star Persona Was a "Character" She Played Long Before Glinda
Since she released her debut album in 2013, Ariana Grande has cemented herself as a pop culture icon for the ages, and by that, I mean: You'd recognize her signature ponytail, platform heels, and oversized sweaters anywhere. All that reflects a 2010s-era Ari, who belted over tracks that took over radio waves and the Billboard Hot 100 chart. Now, the Wicked star is gunning for her first Oscar thanks to her role as Glinda in the beloved Broadway play's film adaptation, and she revealed that her pop star persona was as much a character as the Good Witch in a new interview with The Hollywood Reporter.
“At a certain point, you get tired of that [pop star] character, because it is a character,” she told the publication. “There are pieces of you and your story that are woven throughout your songwriting, but then, because of the way it travels and becomes sensationalized, it gets away from you.”
ICYMI, Ari became one of the biggest pop acts in the world with seven studio albums, two Grammys, nine No. 1 singles, and nearly 85 million monthly listeners on Spotify. At this point, she holds 37 Guinness World Records. But who's counting? During her convo with The Hollywood Reporter, she added that her meteoric rise came with some downfalls...including a rumor that her shrink “couldn't deal with her.”
As she explained, “I was so lucky to have incredible friends and family and an incredible therapist, even though there were rumors about her leaving me. It was just a crazy time: All I wanted was to sing and for it to be about my work, and it felt like the more successful the music became, the more people tried to destroy me.”
The multi-hyphenate clarified that all versions of Ari—from Yours Truly to Glinda the Good Witch—stem from her love of musical theater.
“And beneath all of it is just a girl from Boca who loves art,” she said. “I think that’s why it’s been such a deeply healing gift to disappear into this character—to take off one mask and put on another.”
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