Ariana Grande hits back at voice change backlash after fans were left baffled by the switch

Ariana Grande has hit back at those who criticized her over a voice change for her role as Glinda in Wicked.

Earlier this year, the singer appeared on the podcast Podcrushed with hosts Penn Badgley, Nava Kavelin and Sophie Ansari, where she discussed many parts of her life and career.

There was an instance during the discussion where Grande's voice changed rather abruptly, with the celebrity starting the interview with a lower voice.

This soon changed, however, with Grande switching her voice up to a far higher register - something which fans are familiar with.

A podcast featuring Ariana Grande went viral earlier this year (Alex Broadway/Getty Images)

People were left baffled by the interview, leading to Grande having to later explain why her voice changed mid-interview.

"I intentionally change my vocal placement (high / low) often depending on how much singing i’m doing. I’ve always done this BYE," she explained on TikTok.

Grande opened up on the viral podcast in a recent interview with Vanity Fair, which also saw the 31-year-old set the record straight about cosmetic surgery.

The actor discussed how she coped with the backlash of the voice change, and even called out double standards within the industry.

She 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."

Ariana Grande has hit back at the voice critics (Podcrushed)

She continued: "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."

Grande then reflected on the role as a whole, and there's no doubt she's proud to have worked on Wicked.

The singer continued: "It’s something that I’m just really proud of. Part of why I did want to engage [on TikTok] is because I am really proud of my hard work and of the fact that I did give 100 per cent of myself, including my physicality, to this role. I am proud of that, so I wanted to protect it."