Menzel is considered to be among the greatest Broadway performers of her generation, possessing one of the most recognizable and sought-after voices in the industry. In 2020, Cleveland.com's Troy L. Smith named Menzel the best vocalist of 2013, writing that the year's popularity of "Let it Go" only cemented Menzel's reputation as "one of Broadway’s greatest stars of all time". "Time Out" ranked Menzel Broadway's 19th greatest "diva" of all-time, recognizing that the performer established a "stratospheric reputation" solely on the popularity of "Rent" and "Wicked", having only starred in one Broadway musical since "Wicked". The previous year, BroadwayWorld recognized Menzel among "10 Broadway Stars Who Ruled the Decade". Examining the endurance of "Defying Gravity" from "Wicked", Vulture.com's Jackson McHenry attributes the song's popularity to Menzel's "pneumatic lungs and the powerhouse performances of the divas that followed"; McHenry believes few singers can service the song as successfully as Menzel.