For the sequence, costume designer Paul Tazewell created an outfit for Glinda that was a “pink, dotted peignoir with spiraling circles out of ruffles” to cappy spin reflect the playful and frivolous vibe of the song. Cinematographer Alice Brooks came up with the idea of “Popular” being one long sunrise as opposed to “Defying Gravity” being a sunset, leading to the addition of a skylight in the dorm’s dome ceiling to allow the sun to be the spotlight. Satirical singer Randy Rainbow made a version called “Unpopular”, critical of the President of the United States, Donald Trump. Laura Reineke of the blog Vulture ranked “Popular” as the second-best song from Wicked, calling it “bubbly and refreshingly self-aware” and praising it for showcasing Kristin Chenoweth’s singing and comedic talent.
American singer and actress Ariana Grande performed a version of “Popular” for the 2024 film adaptation of the musical, which was released as a single. The DVD versions of select episodes had to change several songs that were used in the original aired episodes to stock music due to licensing fees. American singer and actress Ariana Grande performed a rendition of “Popular” as Glinda in the first part of Universal Pictures’ two-part film adaptation of Wicked, which was released on November 22, 2024. The complete series of Popular has been released on DVD in region 1 by Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment.
Television shows like Dawson’s Creek, Daria, Mission Hill, Grosse Pointe and other series also went through similar situations where their DVD and streaming (ex. Netflix, Hulu) counterparts used stock music as a replacement in order to cut costs of using other artists’ music. It also premiered with dubbed versions in Mexico, Dominican Republic, Brazil – as Popularidade (Popularity), Germany, France, Italy, Cyprus and Russia. In the end of the second-season finale – which turned out to be the unexpected series finale when the show was cancelled – Brooke is run over by a drunk and angry Nicole Julian (Tammy Lynn Michaels). Also, a reversal of fortunes takes place, with Brooke resigning from cheerleading to focus on her studies, and Sam experiencing a surge of sudden popularity at school.