Cynthia Erivo & Ariana Grande's Oscar duet news

The gays react to Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande's Oscars duet news

Hollywood's most 'Wicked' night!

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The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has officially announced that Wicked co-stars Cynthia Erivo (Elphaba) and Ariana Grande (Glinda) are performing at the 2025 Oscars ceremony this Sunday, March 2.

After weeks of speculation that included Erivo dodging questions at red carpet events from TV shows like Access Hollywood, it's finally been confirmed by The Hollywood Reporter that Grande and Erivo are indeed performing for a musical number from the Wicked movie at the 97th Academy Awards. Both actresses were already attending the award ceremony anyway, given that they were nominated for acting in the film. To recap: Erivo is competing for Best Actress, and Grande is vying for a trophy in the Best Supporting Actress category.

Despite the updated confirmation that fans are getting a Wicked performance at the Oscars, it's not surprising that Erivo, Grande, and the Academy are staying mum when it comes to which song(s) will be performed. But when has that ever stopped stans from theorizing, speculating, and sharing theories on social media?

"Defying Gravity"

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The most popular theory is that Erivo and Grande will sing "Defying Gravity" at the Oscars. This is widely considered the most powerful song of the entire musical production. So, although none of the songs in the first Wicked film qualify for the award show (which recognizes Best Original Songs explicitly created for a movie), this has still been a banner year for musical films... and Wicked is the most significant contributor to this momentum.

It should be noted that Keke Palmer won the 2025 NAACP Image Award for Entertainer of the Year just a few days ago and performed Elphaba's "battle cry" in front of Erivo. The Wicked actress laughed and had a kiki with Palmer's rendition, but this only gave fans even more hope that the 97th Academy Awards are indeed getting a moment of "Defying Gravity."

"One Short Day"

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Another possible musical number that has the girls, gays, and theys excited is "One Short Day," which could include some of the surprise cameos in the movie (such as the original Broadway stars Idina Menzel and Kristin Chenoweth) to add a nostalgic touch to the evening.

This would also be a great tactic to officially bury the long-standing Adele Dazeem meme by giving Menzel a more recent and splashier moment at the Oscars.

"Popular"

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"Popular" is a very… well, popular song in the Wicked soundtrack. While it could feel one-sided to perform at the Oscars with a song that's mostly for Grande to shine, it's within the realm of possibility that this will be a medley of songs from the musical film — including "Popular"!

A 'Wicked' medley.

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The most consistent speculation among fans is that the Wicked performance will likely include several songs from the musical film instead of just one. The jury is still out on whether or not that's how things will play out. Still, the ratings will skyrocket with the news that Erivo and Grande are sharing the Oscars stage to sing live in a victory lap ahead of the Wicked: For Good sequel premiering later this year.

The 2025 Oscars, hosted by Conan O'Brien, will air live from the Dolby Theatre at Ovation Hollywood on March 2 at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT. In addition to Erivo and Grande, the ceremony will feature performances by Doja Cat, Lisa of Blackpink, Queen Latifah, and Raye.

Scroll through to see how the gays are reacting to Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande performing a duet at the 97th Academy Awards, which will air live on ABC and Hulu this Sunday, March 2, at 7 p.m. ET / 4 p.m. PT.