Ariana Grande has responded to criticism about a change in her speaking voice after an interview clip went viral, explaining she shifts her tone intentionally to protect her vocals for singing.

The clip was taken from an interview on the Podcrushed podcast with You actor Penn Badgley.

In the footage, Grande begins speaking about recording new music in a deeper voice, before shifting to a higher-pitched register.

Captioned "the voice change??", it went viral on the video-sharing app TikTok as fans commented on the difference in the US star's tone.

Grande herself has now weighed in with her own comment, explaining the shift was due to "habit (speaking like this for two years) and also vocal health".

"(I) intentionally change my vocal placement (high/low) often depending on how much singing I'm doing," she said. "I've always done this BYE."

During the interview, Grande teased details of more new music, following the release of her seventh studio album Eternal Sunshine in March.

"I went to the studio the day after the Met (Gala) and stayed for like 10 days and I was living there," she said. "I've been writing a lot, and maybe there's more. I would like to do a deluxe at some point."

Earlier this month, Grande revealed a new remix of her track The Boy Is Mine will be released on Friday, featuring US singers Brandy and Monica - who released the original song on which the new track is based in 1998.

The singer, known for hits including Tears Left To Cry, One Last Time, Into You, and Thank U, Next, released her debut album in 2013 and has topped the charts in the UK with her last five consecutive albums.

Fans will also see the former Nickelodeon star return to acting later this year, playing the good witch Glinda alongside Cynthia Erivo's Elphaba in the two-part film adaptation of the stage musical Wicked.

The first of the two films is scheduled for release in November.

In March, she officially divorced her ex-husband Dalton after nearly three years of marriage.