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.

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'.

It's truly impossible to pick a favorite scene from Wicked, but—aside from every time Jonathan Bailey furrows his brow—Ariana Grande's rendition of "Popular" has to be up there. And apparently it was almost completely different. Wicked composer Stephen Schwartz says he pitched Ariana Grande a new version of "Popular," and she fully shut it down.

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

In the immortal words of Glinda "it's all about popular!" Now, that Jon M. Chu's Wicked movie is out, we officially have Ariana Grande 's version of the song and fans are living for a change she makes in her take on the Broadway classic.

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

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.

"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.

Let’s, maybe, I don’t know, hip-hop it up a little bit. Ariana said, ‘Absolutely not, don’t do it. I want to be Glinda, not Ariana Grande playing Glinda,'” Schwartz tells The Times. In fact, Grande was so protective of Glinda she didn’t even want to add what became a show-stopping dance break finale to the number.