Here’s How Ariana Grande Reacted to The Weeknd Saying He’s ‘So Proud’ of Her ‘Wicked’ Performance
The two musicians are longtime friends and collaborators.
The Weeknd and Ariana Grande perform onstage at the 2021 iHeartRadio Music Awards at The Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles.
Ariana Grande and The Weeknd couldn’t love each other harder.
The “Blinding Lights” singer sang the praises of his longtime friend and collaborator in a recent post on Instagram Stories, sharing a poster for Wicked — in which the R.E.M. Beauty founder stars opposite Cynthia Erivo — and writing, “this was fantastic.”
“congrats @arianagrande so proud,” The Weeknd added.
Shortly afterward, Grande reposted the The Idol star’s words on her own Story. “thank you, my friend,” she wrote, adding a bubble emoji to emulate Glinda’s famous method of travel in Wicked.
The “Yes, And?” vocalist and The Weeknd have been working together for years, starting with “Love Me Harder” in 2014. Six years later, the Canadian musician jumped on Ari’s Positions track “Off the Table,” while she helped propel his “Save Your Tears” to No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 by joining him on a remix.
In 2023, while Grande was still filming Wicked, she again gave one of The Weeknd’s tracks a lift by adding her magic to “Die for You,” which then shot up to the top of the Hot 100. “Wrote and recorded a verse for my friend after a 14 hour day on set,” she wrote of the project at the time. “This certain exception had to be made….”
The Weeknd is just one of many fans who are loving Wicked. Following its Nov. 22 premiere in theaters worldwide, its soundtrack album opened at No. 2 on the Billboard 200 — the highest ever debut for a big-screen adaptation of a stage musical on the chart — and the film has brought in over $260 million in North America so far, making it the highest grossing movie ever at the domestic box office based on a Broadway musical.
Grande’s performance in the film is also being widely lauded, and the star will soon receive the the Rising Star Award at the Palm Springs International Film Awards. “In Wicked, Ariana Grande’s portrayal of Glinda elevates her to new heights with a powerful acting performance that beautifully combines her outstanding musical talent, brilliant characterization and impeccable comedic timing,” chairman Nachhattar Singh Chandi said in a recent statement. “Ariana is an iconic global performer, who has seamlessly transitioned to film in her first major starring role, proving herself to be a multifaceted and undeniable talent.”
Billboard‘s Joe Lynch felt similarly. “Grande is a revelation,” he wrote in his review. “This performance signals the arrival of a formidable cinematic talent with a lot more to show us.”
