"Like many, many moms right now, my FYP on social media is 99.9 percent Wicked. I saw the Wicked movie opening weekend with my kids and have since played the soundtrack on repeat. And because I spend so much time in the car as a parent, it means my daughters and I have been holding space for the lyrics of Defying Gravity (AKA singing it at the top of our lungs.) I’ve also loved overhearing my kids and their friends discuss the meaning of the songs from Wicked. For example, my 9-year-old niece said she loves Dancing Through Life because it’s about being carefree without worries (I didn’t correct her.) Then there’s Glinda’s iconic and contagiously catchy tune ‘Popular’ that’s a little more problematic if your kids take the lyrics literally. One mom agreed—Nika Diwa decided to rewrite the Wicked lyrics to ‘Popular’ so she could sing it to her young daughter. And her positive ‘makeover’ to the song went viral.
Mom’s Alternative Lyrics to Popular from Wicked
With millions of views on both TikTok and Instagram, (including from celebrities like musical-obsessed Kristen Bell!) Diwa struck a chord with parents for her alternative lyrics to ‘Popular’ from Wicked.
Nika Diwa’s Popular Parody Lyrics
Popular
Who cares if you’re popular
Don’t listen to all that noise
All those silly boys
Don’t forget to wear your crown
Ooh!
Don’t matter what clothes you wear
How you fix your hair
Everything they tell you to be popular
Don’t gotta be popular
Be kind to those of all sorts
You’ll have my support
Know when you need to say “no”
Cause your smart
Being yourself is the best way to go.
Positive Reactions to the New Popular Lyrics
Certainly, it helps that Diwa has a beautiful singing voice, but who doesn’t love to see a comments section so overwhelmingly positive? “When are you releasing this for us all to play to our kids?!” wrote @kelseymucci. “I need this version on Spotify” wrote @annalayza. “Starting a petition to make ‘Elphaba’s version’ and use these lyrics,” wrote @aaloogobi.
It even hit some users closer to home with @alex.humblehaze writing, “Throughout the years of getting bullied for being a mixed kid…my mum would always say ‘you are special, why would you want to be like everyone else?’ Those words were my shield against the world. Thank you for singing to all of us on the internet mama.”
“This is what I needed to hear as a child,” wrote @adisha.music.
“This is amazing! Saving. Sharing. I need this on repeat with the snoop affirmations,” wrote @egamel.
ICYMI: Other Heartwarming Wicked Videos to Brighten Your Feed
In addition to Diwa’s ‘Popular’ parody, the Wicked movie has sparked so much positivity on the internet. Here are some other heartwarming Wicked posts you’ll want in your feed.
Director Jon Chu Introducing ‘Wicked’ from the Hospital Delivery Room
Jon Chu welcomed his fifth child on the same day as the Wicked movie premiere in Los Angeles, giving the internet this adorable video of a proud dad and proud director.
Little Nessarose Sitting With the Doll Version of Herself
Actress Cesily Collette Taylor captured hearts and made history—along with costar Marissa Bode—for being the first authentic actors in wheelchairs to play Nessarose in Wicked. And this reel of Cesily sitting with the doll version of herself sparked so many heartwarming responses.
Jonathan Bailey Talking About His Grandmother
In an interview with The Today Show, Jonathan Bailey shares how his Nana was the one who introduced him to the theater and supported him with a safe space to play and dance.
Ariana Grande Taking Her Grandma to See Wicked
And since we’re on the topic of grandmothers, Ariana Grande went viral—not only for her impeccable performance as Glinda—but for flying to her hometown to watch the Wicked movie with her 99-year-old “Nonna” in Boca Raton, Florida.
Kathy Sisson, Senior Editor
A mom of two, Kathy is passionately committed to sharing the honest, helpful—and often humorous—stories of motherhood, as she navigates her own everyday adventures of work, marriage, and parenting. She honed her creative and strategic skills at advertising agencies in Detroit and Chicago, before pivoting from marketing to editorial. Now instead of telling brand stories, she’s sharing her own, with articles published across popular parenting sites—including hundreds of stories on The Everymom.