Although Ariana Grande first rose to prominence on Nickelodeon, she recently showcased her Disney Channel fandom by delivering a flawless rendition of Hilary Duff’s beloved “Why Not” in a new R.E.M. Beauty tutorial shared on Tuesday, August 19.
In the clip, Grande experiments with a luminous liquid eyeshadow, and as she layers on more pigment—asking herself, “Why not?”—she effortlessly launches into an impromptu cover of the Lizzie McGuire star’s “Why Not,” nailing every note despite the spontaneous setting.
“Why not take a crazy chance?” she croons, infusing the melody with her trademark vibrato and playful ad-libs: “Why not do a crazy dance? If you lose the moment, you might lose a lot.”
Resharing the clip to her Instagram Story, Duff admitted her surprise that Grande’s tribute was genuine: “I get fooled by AI all the time—but this actually happened,” she laughed.
Originally released in the early 2000s, “Why Not” featured on the soundtrack of Disney’s The Lizzie McGuire Movie, in which Duff starred. The song also appears on her Metamorphosis album, which debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 in 2003.
Seven years later, Grande made her acting debut as Cat Valentine on Nickelodeon’s Victorious, laying the foundation for her recording career. She has since amassed five No. 1 albums—capped by 2024’s Eternal Sunshine—and returned to acting in the critically acclaimed Wicked films, with the sequel slated to premiere this November.
In anticipation of the second installment, Universal Studios released a first-look video blending scenes from the upcoming Wicked sequel with cast commentary. Reflecting on Glinda and Elphaba’s bond, Grande observes, “We really get to see how far we can push this friendship. There’s nuance, there’s hurt, there’s forgiveness… These two women love each other so deeply, and they transform one another for the better.”
