Arianators rejoice, eternal sunshine deluxe: brighter days ahead is here, and it looks like Ariana Grande left some easter eggs in the lyrics. Eagle-eyed fans have already noticed a clever Wicked reference in the song “warm.” Grande is no stranger to subtle wordplay and allusions to events in her life in her music. So, let’s unpack this one.
“Warm” is one of six new tracks on the album, bringing eternal sunshine’s tracklist up to 19 songs. While listening to the song, fans were quick to notice a certain line in the second verse. Grande sings, “Can you hold the space I require?” which instantly sparked attention among listeners.
If you were on social media when Wicked was released in November 2024, you’re sure to have come across the infamous “holding space” interview featuring Grande and Cynthia Erivo. In short, a moment from the Wicked stars’s interview with Tracy Gilchrist for Out Magazine went mega-viral. Gilchrist praised Erivo for her performance, saying a lot of people were “taking the lyrics of ‘Defying Gravity’ and really holding space with that.” To this, they had an emotional reaction, with Grande grabbing Erivo’s finger — a moment that would provoke endless internet memes.
Though the moment left fans scratching their heads, the Wicked stars and Gilchrist have since addressed the bizarre encounter, with Grande saying, “I didn’t know what any part of it meant.” However, she “knew something big was happening.” This being said, fans were certain that the line in “warm” was a reference to the interview.
While this might seem like a reach, Grande herself has actually addressed referencing the viral moment in a song. In a comment on Gilchrist’s Instagram post, Grande wrote, “omg Tracy i have a very important confession to make ………. I entirely forgot about this somehow … but i wrote a lyric all the way back in the Spring that says ‘can you hold the space’….. I knew our paths were destined to cross but i didn’t know you had been cosmically, secretly, subconsciously with me for so long!!!! anyway, i screamed when i realized. it was all meant to be.” In other words, the line was sort of a Wicked reference, but Grande didn’t know it yet.
I guess you can say Grande is always ten steps ahead. But this is no surprise — her lyricism truly never misses. That being said, I’ll be sure to keep an eye out for any other sneaky references on the rest of the new tracks on the album.