Ariana Grande is ready to set the record straight: being happy should never be \u201ccringe.\u201d The pop star passionately dismantles today\u2019s aversion to earnestness, inviting us all to reclaim joy\u2014without apology.<\/p>\n
Ariana Grande Takes on \u2018Cringe\u2019 Culture\u2014With Heart<\/p>\n
On a recent episode of Evan Ross Katz\u2019s Shut Up Evan podcast (posted Oct. 24), Ariana Grande opened up about something that\u2019s been bugging her\u2014and if you ask us, she\u2019s got a point. Grande, never one to shrink from speaking her mind (and isn\u2019t that what we love about her?), took direct aim at the culture that labels other people\u2019s genuine excitement as \u201ccringe\u201d or \u201ctrying too hard.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Grammy-winning singer made it clear she\u2019s not interested in pretending to be coolly detached. In her own words: \u201c[Earnestness] scares people so much, and I think that\u2019s really sad\u2026 The whole \u2018cringe,\u2019 whatever, is just so unfair.\u201d For Grande, this isn\u2019t just a pet peeve\u2014it\u2019s something personal. She wonders if the modern allergy to feeling too much might be \u201cbecause of, like, PTSD or whatever,\u201d but for herself, she\u2019s grateful to feel deeply and refuses to apologize for it.<\/p>\n
Passion Is Not a Punchline<\/p>\n
Grande continued, challenging the idea that happiness and enthusiasm should be embarrassing or \u201ccorny.\u201d \u201cWe should be able to be happy and it not be corny or cringe\u2026 being passionate about something, loving people. That\u2019s the best. Why do you want me to be sitting here numb? Been there.\u201d The singer\u2019s question is as pointed as it is relatable\u2014who decided that being alive, interested, or moved should be considered a flaw?<\/p>\n
Grande\u2019s dislike for the current \u201ccringe\u201d label isn\u2019t just hypothetical. She pointed specifically to moments from last year\u2019s Wicked press tour, where her and costar Cynthia Erivo\u2019s emotional responses were scrutinized and sometimes written off as inauthentic. One viral hit, the \u201cholding space\u201d meme, was born during this period\u2014often without context or empathy for the genuine feelings involved. \u201cThere are so many clips that you would understand if you were there,\u201d Grande insisted. Far from cringing at the memory, she recalled, \u201cI loved that experience. We had a really beautiful time.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWicked: For Good\u201d Brings a New Approach for Fans<\/p>\n
Of course, being Ariana Grande, she\u2019s not just reflecting on the past\u2014she\u2019s got a fresh promo cycle to manage. While discussing Wicked: For Good, the sequel to the record-breaking adaptation, Grande explained that the latest press tour is intentionally more low-key. Multitasking might be an understatement, since she\u2019s been busy filming 2026\u2019s Focker In-Law alongside Skyler Gisondo, Ben Stiller, and Robert De Niro. (Honestly, get this woman a coffee. Or a medal.)<\/p>\n
Grande said, \u201cWith this second one, we\u2019ve been filming. I\u2019m wrapping Fockers on Halloween and flying straight into Brazil, we\u2019re starting the [Wicked] press tour three days later. It\u2019s not necessarily a strategy as much as it\u2019s logistically been a little difficult.\u201d
\nShe also noted, \u201cWe wanted to make it different this time. The first time was so special and so unique that we wanted to make it more about the fans this time.\u201d<\/p>\n
So how will Grande and the Wicked team connect with fans this time around? The main event: a concert special premiering on NBC in early November. Yes, that\u2019s right\u2014you\u2019ll be able to soak in the Wicked magic from your sofa.<\/p>\n
This all comes as we count down to Wicked: For Good hitting theaters in just one month and concluding the big-screen saga that started last year. If you missed it: the original film broke box office records as the highest-grossing Broadway musical adaptation, and its soundtrack landed impressively at No. 2 on the Billboard 200 chart.<\/p>\n
Words of Wisdom and Looking Ahead<\/p>\n
Grande wasn\u2019t all business, though. In the same podcast, she reminisced about getting career advice from none other than Madonna and Beyonc\u00e9\u2014so if you needed confirmation that pop queens really do help their fellow royalty, there it is. She also touched on why she once thought she\u2019d never release another album after 2020\u2019s Positions. (She didn\u2019t elaborate in this excerpt, but here\u2019s hoping she continues to prove herself wrong.)<\/p>\n
If there\u2019s a takeaway from Grande\u2019s candid chat, it\u2019s this: don\u2019t let anyone shame you for loving fiercely or expressing yourself passionately. Culture might be obsessed with cynicism, but there\u2019s nothing \u201ccringe\u201d about being happy. Next time someone tries to tell you otherwise, maybe just send them a link to this article\u2014and an invitation to the concert special.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Ariana Grande is ready to set the record straight: being happy should never be \u201ccringe.\u201d The pop star…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":109915,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[32],"tags":[458,146,85,46],"class_list":["post-109914","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-celebrities","tag-celebrities","tag-entertainment","tag-il","tag-israel"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/109914","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=109914"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/109914\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/109915"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=109914"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=109914"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=109914"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}