Ariana Grande reflects on nearly quitting music before Wicked in new podcast

Singer and actor Ariana Grande says she almost quit making music before she started filming Wicked. In a recent podcast appearance, she shared that she was ready to leave her pop music life behind. But working on the film changed her mind and helped her find her creative voice again.

Ariana Grande played the role of Glinda in the movie. She said that role "did so much for me" and it,

"totally rearranged everything about my relationship to creating."

Before filming, she says she did not think she would ever make another album. But she then recorded her album Eternal Sunshine while working on the film.

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What Ariana Grande said and what was happening during the filming of Wicked?

Ariana Grande spoke on the podcast Shut Up Evan about her mindset before filming Wicked. She said,

"I didn’t think I was going to make an album ever again when I left for London. That was my secret, but I didn’t think I was going to."

She described how playing Glinda changed her view of herself and her work.

"Obviously, you can take the hat off and be not in character when you go home for the day, but you take the feelings home and performing the act of Glinda, who is so sure of herself."

She said Glinda was so sure of herself, and that playing that character helped Ariana Grande reconnect with parts of herself she felt she had lost.

"She had a connection to her gut that I think I kind of lost through trauma."

Ariana Grande also talked about how she was dealing with trauma. She said,

"And I think through the act of performing it and Glinda’s certainty and Glinda’s belief in herself totally ignited something, a strength in me that I missed, that I really needed."

The album Eternal Sunshine came after this phase. According to her, the urge to create it hit her during filming. She said,

"I felt just a genuine spark of reconnection and inspiration and something. I mean, maybe I missed it. Maybe it’s as simple as I missed it."

She further said,

"But I do feel like you have to miss things in order to learn how to become better for them. And I think I learned so much. And then also I genuinely wanted to do it. It just felt like I couldn’t not. It was an inspired moment, and I had to write an album. And I had to do it."

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What is next for Ariana Grande?

Ariana Grande's comments suggest that her focus and feelings about music have shifted. The film Wicked played a key role in this shift. The role of Glinda required her to dig deep and learn new things. According to an interview, she "had to completely erase Pop Star Ari" in order to play Glinda, deconstructing how she usually presented herself.

What’s next for her is a blend of things. She is working in film with Wicked to be released in parts and is still building music. She said, although she might not tour big right now, she wants to do live music in a way that feels right. She said,

"I’m going to be really sad if I don’t sing this album live. I love this album, and I need to sing it. And I think that would be a really special experience for me and my fans and also how beautiful to re-imagine my relationship to touring in this baby step way."

For fans, this means Ariana Grande might be taking a slower, more measured path. Her future might include fewer large tours, but perhaps more targeted shows, more acting roles, and music that comes from a place of renewed inspiration rather than just career momentum. The album Eternal Sunshine and the Wicked films both feel like parts of that new chapter. Some media coverage suggests she is finding a balance between acting and music rather than choosing one over the other.

As the Wicked film releases and as Eternal Sunshine continues its rollout, the next move for Grande will be watched closely. Will she return to full-scale music tours? Will she focus more on film? Or will she blend both in a new way? The path seems open, and fans will be looking forward to the next update.