In a new Los Angeles Times oral history, Wicked composer and lyricist Stephen Schwartz explains:

Wicked” composer and lyricist Stephen Schwartz revealed in an interview with the Los Angeles Times that he pitched Ariana Grande on a different version of “Popular” for the film adaptation that she instantly turned down.

When it came to her take on Glinda, Ariana Grande didn't want to stray too far from the original Broadway musical version of 'Wicked'.

"Absolutely not, don't do it. I want to be Glinda, not Ariana Grande playing Glinda," the singer, who stars in the Universal movie adaptation of the musical, said.

Ariana Grande, who stars as Glinda in Jon M. Chu’s “Wicked,” reportedly didn’t want to perform a new version of “Popular” in the musical film. Stephen Schwartz — the composer and lyricist of the original Broadway musical as well as the movie of the same name — recently told the Los Angeles Times that he and his music team considered refreshing the “rhythm” of the number in the spirit of “being open to new things” for the film.

Wicked composer Stephen Schwartz has revealed that Ariana Grande refused to make a suggested change to a classic song.

As the motion picture version of “Wicked” continues to have its moment, a soundbite from the movie has gone viral. During the scene Ariana Grande sings “Popular” with her co-star Cynthia Erivo, Grande sings,

Ariana Grande is not that girl. The Grammy winner, 31, isn’t looking to change the long-beloved song “Popular” from “Wicked” despite being pitched a different and new version of the tune. “In the spirit of being open to new things for the movie,

Warning: SPOILERS ahead for Wicked! Ariana Grande-Butera refused one big change to Wicked's "Popular," according to composer and original musical writer Stephen Schwartz, who also