Pop superstar and actress Ariana Grande recently opened up about a period in her career where she seriously contemplated stepping away from music. During an appearance on the Shut Up Evan podcast, released on Friday, October 24, the 32-year-old artist shared with host Evan Ross Katz her intentions to halt her musical career after securing her role as Glinda in the highly anticipated film adaptation of the Broadway musical Wicked. Grande revealed that her 2020 album, Positions, was initially envisioned as her final musical release.

“I didn’t think I was gonna make an album ever again,” Grande confessed to Katz, adding that this was her secret plan when she departed for London. However, portraying Glinda in the Wicked films proved to be a transformative experience, fundamentally altering her perspective on creativity. This role reignited her passion for music, inspiring her to record her critically acclaimed 2024 album, Eternal Sunshine, which subsequently spent three weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 charts.

Grande articulated this newfound inspiration, stating, “I felt like just a genuine spark, like a reconnection and inspiration and something, I mean, maybe I missed it.” She reflected on the importance of absence, noting, “Maybe it’s as simple as I missed it. But I do feel like you have to miss things in order to learn to become better for them.” She emphasized the profound lessons learned and a genuine desire to create, feeling an undeniable urge to write and release the new album, an