As if “Wicked” hasn’t already taken over the internet enough, a moment from one of the stars’ press interviews has turned into the latest meme. Here’s an explainer.

It’s not every day that one of the most iconic musicals of all time gets reimagined for the big screen. Wicked holds a special place in my heart as the first Broadway musical I ever saw, so as the lights dimmed, I felt a mix of excitement and nervousness. Would this adaptation do justice to the original? Thankfully, the answer is a resounding yes.

Wicked has been in theaters for a full week, and the musical-based movie has been almost as popular as Ariana Grande's Glin

If you are still desperate to make sense of the notion of “holding space for the lyrics to ‘Defying Gravity,’” the patron saint of queer media herself has since clarified what she meant in this specific context.

Needless to say "holding space" has become the phrase du jour on platforms like X and Bluesky, where posters are imagining characters like Carrie Bradshaw to Don Corleon holding space for "Defying Gravity." They are even using it in completely different contexts like, "hey a bunch of us are outside holding space for cigarettes if you wanna join."

Let’s set the scene! A reporter from Out.com told Erivo this: “I’ve seen this week, people are taking the lyrics of Defying Gravity and really holding space with that, and feeling power in that.” Erivo got very emotional, saying she didn’t know that had happened and that it was extremely powerful. Grande then held her … finger.

"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 to Erivo in a clip of the exchange. The sentiment touched Erivo,

Fans are “holding space” for the Wicked song Defying Gravity online as part of a new viral meme that has taken over the internet.

Part One’ cliffhanger ending—and its powerful extension of the song “Defying Gravity”—provide some rationale behind a viral meme.