"She ate so bad" — Internet reacts to Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo performing 'Somewhere Over the Rainbow’ and 'Defying Gravity’ at Oscars

Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo performed a soulful Oz-themed medley of Somewhere Over The Rainbow, Home, and Defying Gravity at the 97th Annual Academy Awards. This musical performance kicked off the 2025 Oscars, held at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood on March 2, 2025.

Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo are each nominated for their performance as Glinda and Elphaba, respectively, for the 2024 movie Wicked, with the former nominated for Best Supporting Actress and the latter for Best Actress. Wicked, directed by John Chu, earned 10 nominations in total, including Best Picture, Best Original Score, and Best Visual Effects.

Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo's Oscar performance was widely praised by netizens, with one X user tweeting:

"She ate so bad OMFG."

A netizen reacts (Image via X/ @Snaia9)

Many echoed this sentiment, dubbing the performance "fabulous" and adding that it gave them chills.

"How f**king fabulous was that," one person tweeted.

"The amount of chills I got holy s**t," another person added.

"That final note was absolutely breathtaking. They are so talented," someone else commented.

"F**king HELL they can SINGGGGGGGGGGG," another user wrote.

Others added that the performance was very touching, moving them to tears. Here are some of their reactions:

"I’m crying in the bath rn," one person posted.

"It brought me to tears. It was beautiful!" another user exclaimed.

"I lowkey wanted to cry that was amazing," someone else commented.

"I am SOBBING," another user tweeted.

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Ariana Grande paid homage to Dorothy with her red dress during the performance

According to People Magazine, Ariana Grande's Schiaparelli Haute Couture sequined red gown and matching red pumps were a tribute to Dorothy, the protagonist of the 1939 movie The Wizard Of Oz, whose magical ruby slippers play a pivotal role in the film.

Ariana Grande's gown also had a 3D trompe l’oeil vintage shoe embedded in the back of her dress. The singer and actress kicked off her 2025 Oscars performance with a tribute to the people impacted by the recent LA wildfires, before singing Somewhere Over The Rainbow. The song was famously performed by Judy Garland, who played Dorothy in 1939's The Wizard Of Oz.

Cynthia Erivo, Grande's co-star who played Elphaba aka The Wicked Witch of the West, performed Home from the 1975 Broadway show The Wiz, before both actresses came together to sing Wicked's finale duet, Defying Gravity.

During the performance, Ariana Grande stepped back to let the spotlight shine on Eviro as she belted the song's high notes, which received a standing ovation from the audience. While Wicked was nominated for Best Original Score, its songs were not eligible for nominations due to them being a part of a Broadway production.

Wicked took home the Oscar for Best Costume Design and Best Production Design. Ariana Grande lost Best Supporting Actress to Zoe Saldaña for her performance in Emilia Pérez, while the Oscar for Best Original Score went to The Brutalist. Mikey Madison won the Best Actress for Anora, while Anora also won an Oscar for Best Picture.

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In other news, at the 97th Annual Academy Awards, hosted by Conan O'Brien, other winners include Kieran Culkin for Best Supporting Actor in A Real Pain, Anora for Best Original Screenplay, and Conclave for Best Adapted Screenplay.