Ariana Grande defends changing her vocal range to protect her ‘vocal health’ … after shocking fans with her new voice at the Oscars

Ariana Grande came to her defense on Tuesday after shocking fans by speaking in two completely different voices during a recent podcast recording.

The 30-year-old singer and actress spoke to Penn Badgley about her childhood and her experiences working for Nickelodeon in the latest episode of Podcrushed.

One clip in particular caused shock on social media, as it showed the actress, in a careless moment, making her voice deeper and hoarser before suddenly pitching it much higher.

After her fans expressed their surprise and some wondered if she was intentionally trying to hide her true voice, Ariana took to social media to set the record straight, suggesting that health reasons played a role in the change in her pitch.

It was the first time in recent months that her fans were confused by her frequently changing vocal timbre, as she surprised viewers at this year’s Oscars with a particularly high-pitched murmur as she presented an award alongside her “Wicked” co-star Cynthia Erivo.

In her response, posted in the comments of a TikTok video highlighting her rapid voice change, Ariana stated that the problem was partly that she had gotten used to speaking in her higher voice for “Wicked,” in which she plays the role of Galinda Upland, later known as Glinda the Good.

“Habit (of speaking like this for two years) and also vocal health :),” she explained in her comment.

“I intentionally change my vocal pitch (high/low) often depending on how much I’m singing,” she continued, adding a tear-streaming emoji.

“I’ve always done it this way, BYE,” she added, putting an abrupt end to the speculation.

Although Ariana didn’t specifically mention it, several fans speculated that she went back to her higher voice to avoid “vocal fry” – a slightly croaky vocal tone that occurs when people speak in a deep, relaxed voice. Many people believe that “vocal fry” can damage a person’s vocal cords or singing voice.

However, this seems to be largely a myth, and according to Johns Hopkins Medicine, vocal fry has no negative effects on the voice.

However, speaking with vocal fry may make this habit more likely to develop over time, and the condition may be a sign of underlying vocal injuries that require treatment.

In fact, negative opinions about vocal fry may have more to do with sexism than a real health issue, as complaints about vocal fry are more often directed at women than men, even though some people find the sound of these noises genuinely unpleasant.

In March, Ariana was seen onstage at the Academy Awards with her “Wicked” co-star Cynthia Erivo, where she surprised her fans and viewers with her higher-pitched voice, which seems similar to the one she uses in her role as Galinda.

“This is NOT how she normally sounds!” said one fan on Instagram, while another wondered, “What happened to her voice?”

“Someone needs to get Ariana Grande to stop using her Glinda voice. It’s too soon for another Austin Butler situation,” joked another user.

Ariana’s recent defense post also lends credence to fans’ theories that her high-pitched voice is similar to the one she used while filming “The Wicked.”

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During her recent appearance on Podcrushed, Ariana discussed her evolution as a singer and her journey as a songwriter while delving into her latest album, Eternal Sunshine, when the surprising change in her voice occurred.

“I went into the studio the day after the Met and stayed for about 10 days. I literally lived there and it felt like I woke up today and felt like Austin Powers being defrosted,” Ariana laughed, as Penn and his co-hosts Nava Kavelin and Sophie Ansari giggled along.

“That’s how I felt,” she continued. “I thought, ‘What happened?'”

“But yes, I do,” she says, her voice getting noticeably higher and breathier as she composes herself and continues.

“I would like to make a deluxe album at some point,” she says.

And fans couldn’t believe this change, expressing their concern – and disbelief – on social media.

“As a singer, maybe she’s trying to speak with a less damaging part of her voice,” one user speculated.

“Speaking higher like this, without the vocal noise she had at the beginning, is better for the voice, especially when she is tired,” one person speculated.

Another asked: “Ariana Grande is so creepy because why did she change her voice in the middle of an interview like nothing happened?”

“People must be kidding themselves because it’s clear that Glinda’s voice keeps her in the high register,” commented another.

They continued: “She even explained in the interview how she trained for months for the opera. She had to speak like that for over a year, that’s hard to give up. Remember Austin Butler?”

Ariana responded to the comments by saying that she has “always” changed her voice depending on how much she is singing.