Defying Gravity

Defying Gravity
General information
Main artist	Cynthia Erivo
Featured artist	Ariana Grande
Release Date	November 22, 2024 December 13, 2024 (single)
Recorded	2023
Studio	Sky Studios (London, United Kingdom)
Genre	Musical
Length	7:39 3:33 (edit)
Label	Republic Records
Songwriter(s)	Stephen Schwartz
Producer(s)	Stephen Schwartz, Stephen Oremus, Greg Wells, Jon M. Chu, Mac Platt, Maggie Rodford
Singles chronology
Previous	"Popular"
Current	"Defying Gravity"
Next	"Twilight Zone"

"Defying Gravity" is the eleventh track on Wicked: The Soundtrack for the movie, Wicked: Part 1. It was released on November 22, 2024 through Republic Records. Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande perform the song as their respective characters from the movie, Elphaba Thropp and Glinda Upland. It was later released as a radio single on December 13, 2024.

Background

On June 29, 2022, the song was confirmed to be the closer for Act 1. On May 15, 2024, the official trailer for Wicked was released, containing a snippet of the song.

On July 26, 2024, the song appeared in a trailer during the 2024 Summer Olympic Games in Paris. The following day, an additional promo video, including montages from the Games, was aired. The following day, the song appeared in a promo video for the United States Women's Gymnastics team alongside narration by Grande and Erivo.

A preview of the song's instrumental was released on September 4, 2024, which included the song's credits, and was the first time the soundtrack's cover was previewed. The following day, it appeared in another trailer for the movie. Later, when the preview was posted on Instagram, it was registered as "Defying Gravity (Instrumental) [feat. Ariana Grande]," indicating that it will be a feature credit for Ariana. The song was confirmed to be part of the first part of the Wicked soundtrack on October 9, 2024.

The song released as part of the soundtrack on November 22, 2024. A shortened version of the song without dialogue was released alongside the film's score on December 6, 2024. A few days later, on December 10, it was announced that the song would be released as a radio single on December 13, 2024, becoming the second single from the soundtrack, after "Popular".

Merchandise

Physical Releases

Main article: Merchandise - Physical Music § Defying Gravity

• Overview

7" Clear

7" Clear

Lyrics

[GLINDA, spoken]
Elphaba
Why couldn't you have stayed calm for once
Instead of flying off the handle?
I hope you’re happy

[GLINDA]
I hope you're happy now
I hope you're happy how you’ve hurt your cause forever
I hope you think you're clever

[ELPHABA, spoken]
I hope you're happy

[ELPHABA]
I hope you're happy too
I hope you're proud how you would
Grovel in submission to feed your own ambition

[GLINDA & ELPHABA]
So though I can't imagine how
I hope you're happy right now

[GLINDA, spoken]
Elphie, listen to me
Just say you're sorry

[GLINDA]
You can still be with the Wizard
What you’ve worked and waited for
You can have all you ever wantеd

[ELPHABA, spoken]
I know

[ELPHABA]
But I don’t want it
No, I can't want it anymore

Something has changed within mе
Something is not the same
I’m through with playing by
The rules of someone else's game
Too late for second-guessing
Too late to go back to sleep
It's time to trust my instincts
Close my eyes, and leap

It's time to try defying gravity
I think I’ll try defying gravity
And you can't pull me down

[GLINDA]
Can't I make you understand
You're having delusions of grandeur?

[ELPHABA]
I'm through accepting limits
'Cause someone says they're so
Some things I cannot change
But 'til I try, I'll never know
Too long I've been afraid of
Losing love, I guess I've lost
Well, if that's love
It comes at much too high a cost

I'd sooner buy defying gravity
Kiss me goodbye, I'm defying gravity
And you can't pull me down

[ELPHABA, spoken]
Come with me
Think of what we could do together

[ELPHABA]
Unlimited
Together, we're unlimited
Together we'll be the greatest team there's ever been, Glinda
Dreams the way we planned 'em

[GLINDA]
If we work in tandem

[GLINDA & ELPHABA]
There's no fight we cannot win

Just you and I defying gravity
With you and I defying gravity

[ELPHABA]
They'll never bring us down

[ELPHABA, spoken]
Are you coming?

[GLINDA]
I hope you're happy
Now that you're choosing this

[ELPHABA, spoken]
You, too

[ELPHABA]
I hope it brings you bliss

[GLINDA & ELPHABA]
I really hope you get it
And you don't live to regret it

I hope you're happy in the end
I hope you're happy, my friend

[ELPHABA, spoken]
No, leave her alone!
She hasn't done anything wrong
I'm the one you want
I'm the one you want
It's me

[ELPHABA]
It's me

So if you care to find me
Look to the western sky
As someone told me lately
"Everyone deserves the chance to fly"
And if I'm flying solo
At least, I'm flying free
To those who'd ground me
Take a message back from me

Tell them how I'm defying gravity
I'm flying high, defying gravity
And soon, I'll match them in renown

[ELPHABA]
Unlimited
Unlimited
Unlimited

And nobody in all of Oz
No wizard that there is or was
Is ever gonna bring me down

[GLINDA]
I hope you're happy

[CITIZENS OF OZ]
Look at her! She's wicked!
Kill her!

[CITIZENS OF OZ & ELPHABA]
No one mourns the wicked (Bring me down)
So we've got to bring her

[ELPHABA]
Oh

[CITIZENS OF OZ]
Down
Down