Ariana Grande hints at major career shift: ‘Gonna scare my fans’

Ariana Grande is ready to trade her pop stardom for something more magical.

On Wednesday, November 6, in a candid conversation with her Wicked co-star Bowen Yang on the Las Culturistas podcast, which he co-hosts with Matt Rogers, the 31-year-old pop superstar revealed she’s seriously considering a shift in focus—from pop music to musical theatre.

"It’s my heart," the 7 Rings hitmaker confessed after playing Glinda the Good Witch in the highly anticipated Universal film adaptation of the Tony-winning Broadway musical.

"I’m gonna say something so scary — it’s gonna scare the absolute s--- out of my fans and everyone, but I love them, and they’ll deal, and we’ll be here forever," she continued. "I’m always going to make music; I’m always going to go on stage; I’m always going to do pop stuff, I pinky promise."

"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," the Thank u, Next singer explained that her rekindled love for musical theatre might steer her a bit away from pop music.

It is pertinent to note that before Grande first rose to fame as Cat Valentine on the Nickelodeon sitcom Victorious, she was a theatre kid in 13: The Musical.

"Reconnecting with the part of myself who started in musical theatre, who loves comedy, and who finds joy in doing that—it heals me. Finding roles that allow me to use these parts of myself, to put them into little homes and characters and bits and voices and songs, has been so fulfilling," Grande said, deeming her return to her roots in musical theatre as a healing experience.

Additionally, Wicked: Part One is set to hit theatres on November 22, while Wicked: Part Two will follow on November 26, 2025.