Ariana Grande is bringing back her full name for her role in Wicked.

Published on 02 November 2024, by Olivia Collins | NY, USA.

The 31-year-old artist decided to use her complete name, “Ariana Grande-Butera,” in the film’s credits. This name acknowledges both her parents, Joan Grande and Ed Butera. Ed, who works as a graphic designer, separated from Joan when Ariana was eight years old.

This choice follows the “We Can’t Be Friends” singer’s recent efforts to reconnect with her father after losing contact in 2013. In 2014, Ariana opened up about how difficult it was, calling it “one of the hardest things” she had ever faced.

“It’s personal… It took me a long time to be okay with it,” she shared in a Seventeen magazine cover story that year. “A lot of who I am comes from my dad, and for a while, I didn’t like that about myself. I learned it’s possible to love someone even if you don’t always see eye to eye.”

Her relationship with her father even made its way into her music, notably in her 2018 hit “Thank U, Next,” with the lyrics, “One day I’ll walk down the aisle/ holding hands with my mama/ I’ll be thanking my dad ’cause she grew from the drama.”

Ariana also shared moments of their reconciliation on social media. In 2017, she posted an old photo with the message, “I love you.” A year later, she shared a black-and-white image of them FaceTiming during Christmas. By 2019, she posted a snapshot of the two together backstage at one of her shows on her Instagram Story with the caption: “Foreva.”

At the 2020 Grammy Awards, Ariana modified the song lyrics to say, “I’ll be thanking my dad ’cause he’s really awesome.”

Aside from the credit change, Grande has discussed her vocal adjustments for playing Glinda in Wicked, where she stars alongside Cynthia Erivo, her partner Ethan Slater, and other notable performers.

In an episode of the Shut Up Evan podcast on July 9, Ariana spoke about her voice evolving as part of her preparation. “It’s natural for voices to shift, especially if you have a broad range,” she said. “I spent a significant time every day training my voice to do different things before leaving for London; muscle memory is very real.”

She addressed fans’ remarks on her vocal changes, saying, “I change my vocal placement (high/low) intentionally based on how much I’ve been singing 😭.”

Wicked: Part One is slated for release on November 22, 2024, with the sequel, Wicked: Part Two, arriving in November 2025.