Cynthia Erivo finds joy in singing 'Defying Gravity' despite its 'iconic status'

Cynthia Erivo recently expressed her joy in singing her iconic song, Defying Gravity from Wicked, despite its immense popularity.

The Wicked actress, who garnered widespread acclaim for her portrayal of Elphaba Thropp in the 2024 musical-fantasy, revealed that she plans to keep performing the track in the future.

In an exclusive interview with the Los Angeles Times on Wednesday, June 4, the Grammy winner said, “I don’t think I am, because of what it means to people. You can see I’m not looking at it at all. It’s definitely one of those things that’s ingrained in my brain forever.”

Later in the conversation, Erivo, 38, highlighted her favourite sections of the hit song – including “Something has changed within me", and the powerful “war cry” that closes the song.

The Harriet actress also reflected on the final section of track, calling it “very special to her”.

She added, “But there’s a bit that comes before that – And nobody in all of Oz / No wizard that there is or was / Is ever going to bring me down' — that’s like a burgeoning of something before you get up there. You have to earn it”.

Notably, Defying Gravity received widespread acclaim, reaching No. 2 on the Billboard 200.

For the unversed, Wicked: For Good, the sequel to the 2024 original, is expected to hit theatres on November 21, 2025.