The witches of Wicked have heard your pleas and cast a spell to silence the chatter! That’s right, the musical’s soundtrack—famously stuffed with dialogue—is now offering “Shut Up and Sing” editions of Defying Gravity and Popular. Finally, you can belt your heart out without Elphaba explaining why she’s suddenly airborne or Glinda giving a TED Talk on popularity.
Apparently, the original soundtrack had some fans split: some loved the drama of hearing the cast reenact scenes, while others were like, “We came here to SING, not to listen to plot summaries!” Republic Records swooped in like Glinda on her bubble and said, “Fine, you music-loving divas, we got you.”
Here’s the tea: Cynthia Erivo’s gravity-defying anthem has been mercilessly trimmed from a lengthy 7 minutes and 39 seconds down to a lean, mean 3:33. (No broomstick required!) Meanwhile, Ariana Grande’s Popular got a magical snip from 4:01 to a breezy 2:53. Think of it as the TikTok-friendly version—short, snappy, and straight to the good stuff.
Both tracks are now dialogue-free, which means you can dramatically perform Defying Gravity in your living room without pausing to mime a monologue. And Popular? It’s now the perfect karaoke jam for when you want to embody your inner Glinda, minus the verbal asides.
Want to listen? You can find these fresh cuts on YouTube right now. Or if you’re feeling extra, snag the full soundtrack on iTunes or the ever-so-retro CD and vinyl versions on Amazon. Your vocal cords will thank you. (Your neighbors? Maybe not.)
