Ariana Grande says her Wicked voice may stay permanently after being called out for changing how she speaks

Ariana Grande has revealed the voice she found for the role of Glinda may stick around even as her work on Wicked comes to an end.

Grande has received high praise for her portrayal of the good witch in her new movie-musical, but her appearances surrounding the project have sparked some mixed responses.

Many fans noticed that the singer's voice seemed to change dramatically from the way they'd come to associate with her, becoming higher-pitched than in tracks like 'Thank U, Next' and 'Side to Side'.

"Ariana's voice sounds so different...," one Twitter user posted as promotions for Wicked began to emerge.

More recently, another added: "I haven’t paid much attention to Ariana Grande before this movie but I’ve been watching some of her old videos/interviews and I’m fascinated with how different she sounds and talks compared to now."

In a new interview with Variety, Grande addressed the comments about her voice and claimed that 'many people underestimate how long we spent finding and disappearing' into characters.

"When certain inflections or mannerisms take time to melt away, sometimes people poke fun. But we had a job to do, and we had things to get lost in - because that’s what the piece required," she said.

Ariana Grande went through vocal training for the role (Universal Pictures)

Grande acknowledged that she went through 'a lot of vocal work' for the role of Glinda, and when it comes to her new enunciation, she said: "I think that might stay."

"Certain things maybe won’t melt away. Some will, but I’m really grateful for the pieces that will stay with us forever. What a beautiful thing to be left with, and to feel the ghost of every day," she continued.

Grande then went on to joke about another element of her that changed for the role, saying: "And, you know, I’m still looking for my eyebrows. I’ll let you know if I find them - I hope I don’t.”

Grande said some pieces of the role will stay 'forever' (Kevin Winter/Getty Images)

The revelation that Grande's new voice might be changed for good comes after she previously defended herself in an interview with Vanity Fair.

Speaking ahead of the release of Wicked, the singer said: "There is a part of the world that isn’t familiar with what it takes to transform your voice, whether it’s singing or taking on a different dialect for a role or doing a character voice for something.

"When it’s a male actor that does it, it’s acclaimed. There are definitely jokes that are made as well, but it’s always after being led with praise: ‘Oh, wow, he was so lost in the role.’ And that’s just a part of the job, really.

"Tale as old as time being a woman in this industry. You are treated differently, and you are under a microscope in a way that some people aren’t."