Warning: SPOILERS ahead for Wicked!Ariana Grande-Butera refused one big change to story of Wicked features Grande-Butera's Galinda befriending Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo) at Shiz University, prior to the pair becoming Glinda the Good Witch and the Wicked Witch of the West respectively. At the start of their friendship, Galinda tries to get Elphaba to change her style to become more popular, leading to the classic song being pulled from the Broadway musical.

However, speaking with Variety, Schwartz revealed the music team had almost given "Popular" a hip-hop remake for Wicked, with Grande-Butera shutting down the idea. According to the composer and writer, the star wanted the music to feel as close to the Broadway show as possible, not wanting to put an unnecessary spin on it that would diminish the character. However, they did end up altering some octaves at the end of the song to emphasize her vocal range. Check out what Schwartz had to say below:

In the spirit of being open to new things for the movie, my music team and I thought, let’s refresh the rhythm. Let’s, maybe, I don’t know, hip-hop it up a little bit. Ariana said, ‘Absolutely not, don’t do it. I want to be Glinda, not Ariana Grande playing Glinda.'

I had this idea for a new vocal ending. Ariana was a little hesitant about it, but I told her that if I had thought of it for the original show, this is how it would have been. Once she was reassured that this new bit of music was coming out of character, she was on board.

What Grande-Butera's Refusal To Alter Wicked's Music Meant For The Movie

Keeping The Songs Faithful Strengthened The Film

Grande-Butera's refusal to do a remixed version of "Popular" emphasizes how the cast of Wicked kept the movie faithful to the Broadway show. The other songs throughout the film, from "The Wizard and I" to "Defying Gravity," are also very close to, if not the same as, the original renditions onstage. By not changing much about how the music itself was presented, the film offers a faithful adaptation of the story, only using CGI effects and larger sets to emphasize the established plot elements.

The songs in Wicked are considered Broadway classics, making their presentation extremely important when developing a big-screen adaptation. By keeping the music as is, with only a few minor changes to show off the talent of its core actors, the movie shows how much respect it has for the original composition. However, its small changes do help make the theatrical version stand on its own, helping to showcase why Grande-Butera and Erivo were cast in the leading roles. Having their talent appear naturally with the source material makes their performances all the more standout.

Our Take On Wicked Keeping Popular & Other Songs The Same

No Big Remix Makes It Feel Like The Broadway Show

Keeping the songs in Wicked the same bolsters the work Schwartz and co-writer Winnie Holzman put into the original Broadway musical, honoring the play while presenting it in a different way. While it would have been interesting to see how different renditions of songs like "Popular" would play out, it ended up being a better decision to leave it be. The same will likely be the case for the Wicked Part Two, when it arrives in theaters next year.

Source: Variety