Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande have had a fair few emotional moments while promoting their new film Wicked – but one exchange that went viral last week has really taken off.
In the footage – which has been viewed more than 66 million times on X alone – EqualPride journalist Tracy E. Gilchrist pointed out to Cynthia that for the last week, people have been “taking the lyrics to Defying Gravity and really holding space with that and feeling power in that”.
“I didn’t know that that was happening, that’s really powerful, that’s what I wanted” Cynthia responded, tearfully reiterating: “I didn’t know that was happening.”
Tracy then said: “I’ve seen it on a couple of posts, I don’t know how widespread [it is], but, you know, I am in queer media…”
On Monday, Variety published a new interview with Tracy in which she added some context to the viral exchange.
For one thing, she said the interview (shared by Out magazine) took place just a day after the result of the US election, which could perhaps explain why emotions were a little high.
Asked exactly what she meant by “holding space”, Tracy offered: “I was very inspired by Tony Morrison, [the senior communications director at the LGBTQ+ organisation] GLAAD. He posted the lyrics of Defying Gravity before I did my interview. It was a great explainer.
“‘Holding space’ is being physically, emotionally and mentally present with someone or something. For me, it means being in the moment, not being distracted and feeling something on a cellular level.
“I think you can hold space with lyrics of a song – one you’ve heard hundreds of times – and it can suddenly take on new meaning when you’re a queer person. The Trump administration is targeting LGBTQ+ people via Project 2025. When Cynthia sings ‘I’m through accepting limits’, there’s power in that. She plays a character who is othered. One who comes to her full power when she is exiled by a charlatan, by a cruel leader.
“There’s a lot of resonance there right now for anyone who is marginalised. For me, holding space is listening to those lyrics anew and finding solace or inspiration.”
And of the “couple of posts” she referred to in the viral clip, Tracy said: “Most of it actually came from a conversation with a friend. I was using that to tee up the question, and I was a little thrown off by [Cynthia’s] response because it was so sincere and real.
“I was a little flustered. I could have said, ‘I have all these friends, and this is our conversation’. But instead I said, ‘I’m in queer media’.”
She then joked: “It’s a catchphrase now.”
Last week, the British actor opened up about what has made herself and Ariana so emotional in many of their Wicked interviews, admitting it’s something they “can’t help”.
Wicked is in cinemas now. Read our review of the film here.