Wicked stars’ bizarre new interview mocked mercilessly

But a bizarre snippet from one of the film’s stars endless junket encounters is going viral online, as it seems to mark the zenith of all Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo’s touchy, feely, teary joint interviews about the film to date.

Unless you’ve been in a coma for the past few weeks, you will have seen the two stars at some point, fielding questions about their film from one journalist or another, usually with the same air of glassy-eyed gratitude about how lucky they are to have experienced Wicked together:

Wasn’t alive to see the wizard of oz in theaters but alive to see Wicked in theaters pic.twitter.com/rax0JjtB33

— 💫 (@heyjaeee) November 18, 2024

But this snippet from a new interview, with journalist Tracey E. Gilchrist from Out.com, seems to have broken the brains of those online who were already suffering from overly earnest Wicked press tour exhaustion.

Gilchrist asked Erivo about her big showstopping number in the film, Defying Gravity, a song that’s had a dedicated fanbase since the musical premiered on Broadway back in 2003.

Tracey: “I’ve seen, this week people are taking the lyrics of Defying Gravity and really holding space with that, and feeling power in that.”

Cynthia: “Uh … I didn’t know that that was happening.”

Tracey: “I’ve seen it, yeah.”

Cynthia: “That’s … really powerful.”

Tracey: “Mmm-hmm.”

Cynthia: “That’s … what I wanted. I didn’t know that was happening …?”

Tracy: “I’ve seen it on a couple posts, I don’t know how widespread – but you know, I am in queer media, so …”

All three are visibly moved by what they’re discussing – which, upon closer inspection, doesn’t seem to be much of anything at all.

Erivo appears to be on the verge of tears that people on “a couple posts” are “really holding space and feeling power” with the lyrics of one of the most famous songs in musical theatre.

And Grande watches on, and bizarrely holds a single one of her co-star’s fingers for emotional support.

A mournful violin version of Defying Gravity played over the clip just adds the effect, is if to let you know: You are watching something deeply profound.

The whole encounter is so strange, one wag on X wondered if there might have been a gas leak in the room.

The clip has absolutely caught fire on social media, where the clip itself has been viewed almost 30 million times on X and where “taking space with the lyrics of Defying Gravity” has now definitely spread beyond “a couple posts”:

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