Ariana Grande even shocked herself the first time she heard her violently deliver a “popular” lyric in “Wicked.”

In a moment that has since gone viral on TikTok, Grande – as Glinda – sings, “Don’t make me laugh. They were…” to which Cynthia Erivo’s Elphaba fills in the blank with “Popular.”

“Right!” Glinda responds with such aggressive force that fans of the song and the film were caught off guard. It turns out that it also surprised the actress when she heard it herself.

“The first time I heard this was when I was listening to the live recording from the set in the studio (before I even saw the movie) and it scared myself,” Grande wrote in a TikTok on Wednesday. “I immediately called Jon giggling. For the record, I have absolutely no recollection of doing this.”

The film — based on the first half of the 2003 Broadway musical — was a much-needed shot in the arm for the box office. “Wicked” scored the third-highest opening weekend of 2024 with $114 million in its debut last weekend.

Earlier this week, it was also revealed that there was a pay gap between co-stars Grande and Erivo. During its opening weekend, rumors grew on TikTok and Reddit that Grande was paid $15 million for her role, while Erivo was only paid $1 million. Universal has denied these rumors.

“Reports of pay disparity between Cynthia and Ariana are completely false and based on internet fodder,” a Universal spokesperson told TheWrap. “The women received equal pay for their work on Wicked.”

“Wicked: Part I” is in theaters now.

The post Ariana Grande Admits She ‘Scared’ Herself by Aggressively Performing ‘Popular’ Lyrics That Went Viral on TikTok appeared first on TheWrap.