The Internet is 'Holding Space' for 'Defying Gravity,' the Signature Song from 'Wicked'

"Defying Gravity," the iconic song from the Stephen Schwartz musical "Wicked," might have just spawned an equally iconic meme, with the internet "holding space" for the beloved tune.

Variety notes that the new catchphrase is the result of "a viral moment born in an interview between journalist Tracy E. Gilchrist and 'Wicked' stars Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo," in which the two leads from the Jon M. Chu film adaptation gave an emotional response to a query posed by Gilchrist, a journalist and executive with EqualPride, a media brand that encompasses The Advocate, Out, Pride, and other publications.

"I've seen this week people are taking the lyrics of 'Defying Gravity' and really holding space with that and feeling power in that," Gilchrist says in the clip.

Erivo responds by putting her hand to her heart and murmuring, "I didn't know that that was happening."

"I'ver seen it, yeah," Gilchrist affirms.

It's a moment that's been "that has been clipped and shared widely across social media," The New York Times relates.

The lightning-in-a-bottle moment is completed as a visibly moved Erivo says, "That's really powerful," before adding: "That's what I wanted." She glances at Grande, seated to her right, and Grande reaches over to take hold of Erivo's finger affectionately, saying, "Mmm, yeah."

"Every rewatch of the video feels more surreal," EDGE remarked earlier this week. "What is going on? Why can't we stop watching it? What does the interviewer mean? Why does Cynthia Erivo seem so touched by it? Why is Ariana Grande holding onto just one of Cynthia's fingers?

"The video raises a range of interesting questions, and yet its potent, perplexing vibe has us unable to look away."

So it would seem.

"Whether it was the phrase 'holding space,' the earnest and melodramatic reactions it elicited from Ms. Erivo and Ms. Grande, or the delicate finger-hold – or some combination of the three – the interview has spurred a range of reactions online," the Times mused.

The meme caught on even in some unexpected quarters.

Gilchrist opened up to the Times about the interview, providing a little context for the exchange.

"I had four minutes to ask two people questions," Gilchrist recalled of her meeting with Erivo and Grande. "You have to get in there and really have a moment. I like to try to get to something real."

Gilchrist came into the interview with the consoling power of "Defying Gravity" already in her thoughts.

"I had seen just that day, that Tony Morrison from GLAAD – who is a friend – had posted the lyrics of 'Defying Gravity'," the journalist shared.

"Mind you, this was 1.5 days after the election. We were all kind of reeling. What does this mean for marginalized people and specifically people in the queer community? I thought, 'Well, this has been a week.' And so asked her, you know, I said that I'd seen people holding space with the lyrics of 'Defying Gravity'."

Not even Gilchrist expected the moment's inexplicable power.

"I was really teeing up my question," she explained, "which was, 'What does it mean to you to play this character who is so resonant with queer people, especially when we need it?'

"I hadn't even asked the question yet," the journalist added. "Her response was so dear to me. I was a little flustered."

Asked if she had realized at the time that Grande had tenderly grasped Erivo's finger, Gilchrist said, "They first started grazing fingers while I was talking to Ariana. I don't know if it ended up in the edited video, but in the raw footage you can see me clock it. In my head I'm thinking, 'Please, God, I am just a human lesbian. This is too much!'"

Gilchrist went on to add that the moment was "sincere" on the parts of all involved. "I was sincere in my question. Cynthia was sincere in her response. And I think when Ariana grabbed her finger, she was just trying to sincerely let her know that she was there with her."

Erivo's response, and Grande's finger embrace, hit the public's consciousness after Grande, in joint interview with Erivo, suggested that there's room in the interplay of the film's two lead characters for a supposition of romantic interest at play.

"Every day in the Emerald City is a Pride parade, right?" Variety quoted Grande telling The Gay Times during the interview.

The relationship of Glinda and Elphaba, Grande said, "transcends sexuality," but she also allowed, "whether it's romantic or platonic – Glinda might be a little in the closet – but if there were a time, you never know. Give it a little more time."