Ariana Grande says filming 'Wicked' inspired a "genuine spark" and reconnection with her music

Ariana Grande says filming 'Wicked' reignited her creative passion and inspired her to record Eternal Sunshine

Ariana Grande has revealed that working on the film adaptation of Wicked helped her rediscover her passion for music and inspired her to record her 2024 album Eternal Sunshine.

Speaking on the Shut Up Evan podcast with Evan Ross Katz, the 32-year-old singer and actor said that filming Wicked gave her a “genuine spark” and a sense of “reconnection and inspiration” with her music.

“I felt like a genuine spark, like a reconnection and inspiration and something I mean, maybe I missed it,” Grande said. “Maybe it’s as simple as I missed it. But I do feel like you have to miss things in order to learn how to become better. I think I learned so much. And then also I genuinely wanted to do it. I just felt like I couldn’t not. It was an inspired moment and I had to write an album and I had to do it.”

Grande recorded Eternal Sunshine while filming Wicked, balancing her music work with a demanding production schedule. She said that when the Wicked team informed her about potential reshoots, she remained determined to finish the album. “I said, great, that’s fine. I’ll finish it before then, or I’ll finish it after,” she explained.

The album saw Grande collaborate with producers including Max Martin and Ilya, and it went on to earn a nomination for Best Pop Vocal Album at the 2025 Grammy Awards.

Grande stars as Glinda in Wicked, which premiered in November 2024. Reflecting on returning to set after the Hollywood strikes, she said stepping back into the role came naturally: “It was so strange. I wondered if this would feel weird. And as soon as I got there it was like, done. She was right there.”