Ariana Grande Speaks Out Against Being Labeled A 'Diva': 'I'm Tired Of Seeing Women Silenced By It'

Ariana Grande is standing up for divas everywhere!

The vocal powerhouse recently had a socially-distant interview with Zane Lowe for Apple Music to promote her new collab with Justin Bieber, Stuck With U. After professing her love for classic divas like Whitney Huston, Mariah Carey, and Celine Dion, Lowe brought up the offending label:

“You know, the word diva gets thrown around when someone is successful in all the wrong connotations. It gets completely misconstrued. And what it really is, is an insult to strong female energy. … That diva energy is really about taking control, and that’s what I love about that word. And yet people are like ‘Aw they’re being a diva,’ and I’m like, that’s the wrong use of that word.”

The singer agreed emphatically with that positive spin on the word, saying she believes a diva is someone who’s “got an opinion and a drive and artistic integrity — they’ve got something to say.” She continued:

“It’s funny you bring that up — I stopped doing interviews for a really long time because I felt like whenever I would get into a position where somebody would try to say something for clickbait or twist my words or blah, blah, blah, I would defend myself. And then, people would be like, ‘Oh, she’s a diva.’ And I was like, ‘This doesn’t make any sense,'” she told him. “If I have an opinion artistically or if I am directing something, or if I have something to say regarding a choice that’s being made with my career or something, blah, blah, blah, it always was in the past kind of manipulated and turned into this negative thing, whereas I don’t see that with men. It’s like when men express their opinions or defend themselves or are directing something and making notes on something, they’re ‘brilliant’ and they’re ‘geniuses’…and yet, it’s just so not the same thing with women, which I hope we can work on fixing.”

Go off, queen!

The 26-year-old acknowledged the double standard isn’t “always” at play, but said, “It makes you want to quiet down a little bit. But I’m trying to also say ‘f–k that.’ You know what I mean? I’m tired of seeing women silenced by it.”

She admitted some of the negative backlash made her consider, “‘Oh wow. Should I not express myself anymore? Should I not have this fight that I want to have anymore? Should I just say, okay, and let it be?'” She added, “It kind of f**ks you up a little bit.”

She told Lowe:

“Of course it’s not an all the time thing, but it is definitely still prominent. But I’m trying to just say f**k it and let go of that trauma. Because I do have a lot to say, and I do enjoy talking to people, and I do want to do interviews and share with people and not be afraid to be myself.”

Ch-ch-check out her Apple Music interview for yourself (below).