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.

Ariana Grande, pop singer-turned-actress playing “Glinda” in Wicked, explored her character’s sexuality while doing an interview promoting the new film. Grande and her co-star Cynthia Erivo, who plays Elphaba,

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

Critics and fans alike have been raving about Ariana Grande‘s performance as Glinda in the new film adaptation of Wicked. But according to the show's original composer, one of her most pivotal scenes almost sounded very different.

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.