Here’s Why Ariana Grande Said ‘No’ to a Hip-Hop Version of ‘Popular’ in ‘Wicked’

Critics and fans alike have been raving about Ariana Grande‘s performance as Glinda in the new film adaptation of Wicked. But according to the show’s original composer, one of her most pivotal scenes almost sounded very different.

In a new interview with The Los Angeles Times, the creators of Wicked — including director Jon M. Chu and show composer Stephen Schwartz — broke down the creation of “Popular” for the silver screen. When speaking about the music of the scene, Schwartz explained that his team had an idea for updating the song for a modern audience before Grande asked them to reconsider.

“In the spirit of being open to new things for the movie, my music team and I thought, ‘Let’s refresh the rhythm. Let’s, maybe, I don’t know, hip-hop it up a little bit,’” Schwartz revealed in the interview. “Ariana said, ‘Absolutely not, don’t do it. I want to be Glinda, not Ariana Grande playing Glinda.’”

That’s not to say that Grande’s version of “Popular” wasn’t given an update. Schwartz went on to mention the song’s altered ending, in which the key changes three times, giving Grande’s Glinda an opportunity to hit an operatic high note. “I had this idea for a new vocal ending. Ariana was a little hesitant about it, but I told her that if I had thought of it for the original show, this is how it would have been,” he explained. “Once she was reassured that this new bit of music was coming out of character, she was on board.”

Chu praised Grande during the interview for her performance not just in the show-stopping number, but in the film as a whole. “You could tell in her audition that she had Glinda instinctively in her, maybe not yet the Glinda you see in the movie. I thought I might have to guide her a little bit, but then, on the first day of rehearsals, she arrived as Glinda,” he said. “I felt like I had met Glinda in real life, and that the show was based off of this girl! She’s never led a movie before — how can a person this green come into this and be that consistent and so involved?”