Songfacts®:

• "Popular" is a pivotal song from the musical Wicked, composed by Stephen Schwartz.
  
  The story, for the uninitiated, follows Elphaba, a whip-smart, green-skinned underdog destined to become the Wicked Witch of the West, and Galinda (later Glinda), her sunny, status-obsessed roommate who grows into the saccharine Glinda the Good.
  
  Elphaba's journey begins at Shiz University, where she endures ridicule for her green skin and sharp tongue. Fate (or more specifically, headmistress Madame Morrible) cruelly pairs her with Galinda, setting the stage for a clash of opposites. But it's in the relative peace of their shared dorm room where the magic happens. Galinda, ever the patron saint of popularity, decides to give Elphaba a glow-up, serenading her with "Popular" as she sets out to transform her misfit roommate into someone Shiz-worthy.
• Kristin Chenoweth, who originated the role of Glinda on Broadway, delivered the number with such fizzy perfection that it earned her a Tony nomination in 2004 for Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical, an award won by her co-star, Idina Menzel.
• In 2024 Ariana Grande stepped into Glinda's sparkly shoes for the film adaptation of Wicked.
  
  Grande's rendition of "Popular," released as part of the Wicked: The Soundtrack album on November 22, 2024, stays true to the original's comedic charm, but with a few updates. Producers initially toyed with giving the song a rhythmic revamp - something with a touch of hip-hop flair - but Grande put her foot down, insisting on preserving the song's classic bounce.
• The modern update to "Popular" wasn't all tradition and no innovation. Stephen Schwartz decided the ending needed a little something extra. Speaking to The Los Angeles Times, he explained how he pitched a new operatic finish involving three key changes, giving Grande's Glinda an opportunity to hit an operatic high note.
  
  "I had this idea for a new vocal ending. Ariana was a little hesitant about it, but I told her that if I had thought of it for the original show, this is how it would have been," he said. "Once she was reassured that this new bit of music was coming out of character, she was on board."
• "Popular" hasn't just lived in the land of Oz. It's also dipped its toe into the world of both rap and pop music. Both Drake and Mika sampled the song in their songs "Popular" and "Popular Song" respectively. None other than Ariana Grande joined Mika for the single version of "Popular Song".