WICKED Stars Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande Cover VANITY FAIR Magazine

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WICKED Stars Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande cover VANITY FAIR Magazine styled by Patti Wilson and photographed by Norman Jean Roy.

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Last summer a clip of Grande on Penn Badgley’s Podcrushed went viral when people accused Grande of slipping into a different register after she started to laugh. Grande finally addressed the accusations in a TikTok comment: “I intentionally change my vocal placement (high/low) often depending on how much singing i’m doing,” she wrote. “I’ve always done this BYE.”

Grande admits that the flak has been tricky to navigate: “There is a part of the world that isn’t familiar with what it takes to transform your voice, whether it’s singing or taking on a different dialect for a role or doing a character voice for something.”

Erivo refers to herself with the inclusive term “queer.” When I ask if there’s a special person in her life, she warmly but firmly declines to answer. “I’m very tight-lipped with my relationships, ’cause I don’t think that my relationship is for anyone else but for me,” she says. “I spend so much of my life sharing everything—whether it’s my work or my soul or my life in speeches. I think I give enough of myself that I’m allowed to keep something for me.”

“I had worked with so many people who had their own agenda and their own ideas as to what I should be doing,” Erivo says, then turns to Grande. “I think, from you, I’ve learned to be a little easier on people. I expect a lot from people. And I don’t really mince my words with anyone. You get straight shooter from me, immediately. Like, ‘What are we doing?’ Is that not a phrase I kept saying? ‘What are we doing?’ ”

“It’s just that you don’t self-abandon for the sake of others’ comfort,” Grande says. “That is a big thing that I learned from you. Not to get emotional, sorry. But that same thing is what I needed.” Her voice breaks. “I needed to be able to be a straight shooter and be honest about my feelings. And then here comes this walking example of truth and strength and loving empowerment.”

[Photo Credit: Norman Jean Roy for Vanity Fair Magazine]

• Ariana Grande
• Cynthia Erivo
• Editorials
• Magazines
• Norman Jean Roy
• Patti Wilson
• Vanity Fair