Ariana Grande Opens Up About "Wicked" Co-Star Cynthia Eviro, Leaked Songs, And Boomers On "Hot Ones"

Ariana Grande took on the heat in Hot Ones, handling every spice level like a pro.

A viral trailer was released weeks ago where the singer asked, "Where do you think I'll sit on the scale from DJ Khaled to Lorde?" regarding her performance. If you weren't already aware, Lorde powered through all sauces in her 2021 appearance – no water or milk needed. Ariana definitely channeled Lorde. Sitting at the table with host Sean Evans, Ariana discussed everything from Wicked to fans stealing her songs.

Sean quizzed her about her work with "looping machines," a subject that made the two-time Grammy Award winner light up. “A looping machine is something that basically loops whatever sound you're singing or playing into the microphone,” she explained. “I fell in love with it watching Imogen Heap at a young age. She’s my favorite musician of all time, and she used it to build her song live. To watch her do that and show the audience that all those lush, emotional chords were her voice – it was so inspiring.”

The conversation moved on to her upcoming musical Wicked, a highly anticipated film in which she stars alongside Cynthia Eviro. Sean wanted to know if Ariana had to sing while doing stunts or if she was harnessed "into a floating bubble."

“Well, yes, there was lots of bubble singing, which was very high up, and I wasn’t harnessed. I was just kind of there,” she said. But it was her co-star's stunts that really amazed Ariana. “And I had a lot of like stunty singing things, but nothing compares to Cynthia. But this is my favorite thing in the entire world. Watching Cynthia in her harness with a broom, a hat, like wig, corset, dress, like the whole thing, flipping upside down, flying around the set, singing to 'Defying Gravity,' every take, like it's nothing, like just the most phenomenal thing I've ever seen in my life."

"Oh my God, I love her," she gushed about Cynthia. "We had to do some really insane and beautiful things for this film, and it was just so much fun."

Cynthia isn't the only one Ariana gave a shoutout to. She also recounted an experience working with Swedish record producer Max Martin when she was younger. Max had instructed her to deliver her lines in an intentionally irritating, high-pitched tone, assuring her that the final result would be great. And he was right! "One of my favorite, most hilarious Max Martin memories, and this man, I love him so much," she said. "He is such an incredible friend and inspiration to me. I love him so much."

When Ariana's unreleased song "Fantasize" got leaked, it went haywire on social media. While everyone celebrated the bop, the singer addressed the leakers in a different interview, telling them, "I'll see you in jail, literally." In terms of how it affected her as an artist, she tells Sean, "Yeah, it's hard. It's really hard for me because it's really disheartening and it's disappointing. And it sucks. And I am constantly trying to get to the bottom of how people get stuff, whether it's videos or pictures or audio, songs."

"So it's conflicting because that is very frustrating and feels very dehumanizing," she added. "And then the other side is like, but I'm so grateful to be an artist that people care about, and my fans want more of me. So they're going to these extremes to steal and break in. It's so lovely to be loved. I sit somewhere in between like being grateful to be here at all. And being like, but really? Come on."

Ariana was born in Boca Raton, Florida, prompting Sean to ask about the amusement park (not the age group), "I'm looking for the ideal afternoon in Boca Raton. Boomers: overrated or underrated?"

The "7 Rings" singer lights up. "Boomers! Underrated. You can't overrate Boomers. It's Boomers!"

Sean closes by asking her about how she warms up her voice. Ariana starts early in the morning, humming while when she's brushing her teeth. "So I'll vocalize a little bit in the morning and then have my day, have my glam, do my thing, and get ready for the show," she explained. "But throughout the whole day, I'm going like little hmmm! and you stretch a little higher and a little longer."

As the episode came to a close, Ariana smoothly transitioned to her upcoming projects as she ate her hot vegan wings. “My album, Eternal Sunshine, is out now, and Wicked will be hitting theaters on November 27,” she shared. “Thank you so much for having me.”

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