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Ariana Grande recently revealed her intention to take a step back from the pop spotlight. Speaking on the Las Culturistas podcast hosted by her Wicked co-star Bowen Yang, Grande shared a heartfelt update on her career ambitions, hinting at a shift that could surprise her fans, Broadwayworld reports. While she promised she wouldn’t abandon pop music entirely, Grande admitted that musical theatre and acting would take priority over the next decade. “[Broadway] is my heart,” she confided, explaining her desire to pursue roles that align with her theatrical roots and foster her love for live performance.
Ariana Grande opens up on about her plans in the next 10 years during Las Culturistas podcast:
“I’m going to say something so scary, it’s going to scare the absolute sh*t out of my fans and everyone. I love them, and they will deal and we will be here forever. I’m always going… pic.twitter.com/IJUah8Tsyl
— Buzzing Pop (@BuzzingPop) November 6, 2024
This pivot brings Grande back to where her career began, recalling her debut on Broadway at age 15 in 13, the 2008 musical. Grande’s dream to return to theatre is about reconnecting with her roots and the joy she finds in playing complex characters. As she described, this shift offers her a fresh way to express herself beyond the boundaries of her music catalog. “I’m always going to make music,” she reassured listeners. “But I don’t think doing it at the rate I’ve been doing it for the past 10 years is where I see the next 10 years going.” With her deep love for musical theatre resurfacing, fans can expect to see Grande in roles that may surprise but certainly won’t disappoint.
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A Fresh Chapter with ‘Wicked’ and Grande-Butera’s Full-Circle Moment
In her recent film role as Glinda in Wicked, Grande reconnected with her original name, appearing in credits as Ariana Grande-Butera. She explained in a recent interview that using her full name in Wicked is a way of honoring the young girl who first dreamed of Broadway and watched Wicked on stage at age 10. “It felt like a really lovely way of honoring that,” she shared. This name choice captures how deeply personal the project is to her, calling it a “homecoming.” Grande’s fans will notice this name credit when Wicked hits theaters, marking a symbolic nod to her theatrical beginnings.
Having already released four albums in the past five years, Grande feels ready to slow down and take on projects that don’t center around her personal struggles, which her pop albums have often documented. Her latest album, Eternal Sunshine, delved into her life post-divorce, and now, Ariana Grande feels drawn to acting roles that allow her to channel her emotions differently. Playing characters like Glinda lets her step outside her life, connecting to audiences without revisiting her own pain. This shift, she says, provides a healing quality distinct from songwriting, as it allows her to explore and expand her creative identity. “It really does, in a different way than songwriting,” she reflected, hinting at the therapeutic power of performance.
As Ariana Grande steps into this new era, fans can expect her creativity to find exciting new forms. Whether she’s performing on a Broadway stage or in a film role, Grande is embracing change, proving that her heart beats just as strongly for acting as it does for pop music.
