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As one of the three judges on “American Idol,” Katy Perry is always at the center of what unfolds on the screen of the hit ABC singing competition. As Season 21 progresses, she keeps finding herself on the wrong end of fan response as the latest sees fans pointing out her untimely reaction that rubbed many the wrong way.
With live voting starting up on “American Idol,” the Top 26 was trimmed down by six and as always, the results left some fans pleased and others feeling down after seeing their favorite on the outside looking in. Perry isn’t one to hold back what she’s feeling as she appeared to be thrown off by how the voting went when the final spot was filled in Sunday’s episode.
With one spot to go, Ryan Seacrest stood before a talented group of four that featured Elijah McCormick, Dawson Wayne, Malik Heard, and Wé Ani. The latter, who has one of the biggest social media followings among all Season 21 contestants, was the one who heard her name called, leaving the other three without a spot in the Top 20.
What unfolded next was Wé Ani delivering her take on Adele’s “Skyfall” with a powerhouse performance that proved why she earned the spot. “You’re so deserving,” Luke Bryan reminded her. “It’s amazing what you do night in and night out, you crushed it.” Lionel Richie reiterated what Bryan had said, simply saying he loves her and all she does on the stage, “The amount of talent you have is undeniable.”
Katy Perry Draws Backlash for Her Response to Wé Ani’s Performance
Critiquing an artist is one thing, but what had fans riled up on social media was how the Grammy-nominated singer appeared to focus on who didn’t make it rather than what Wé Ani had just accomplished.
“Wé, oh my god,” Perry began her feedback. “I’m just so shook right now. First of all, shook by the results, and I’m also shook by that song is so dramatic, there’s so much drama going through my body right now I need a nap.”
The drama she is alluding to is the group of three that didn’t make it, but the presumable biggest omission from the Top 20 being McCormick. While not named by Perry in her response, it’s no secret she thought very highly of him throughout the season. She was a fan of his Aulani performance when he did his own spin on Chris Janson’s “Good Vibes.”
“So the last line was ‘I’m not going to waste one breath’,” she noted, alluding to the near-death car accident McCormick had experienced. “And that is exactly what you’re doing. You’re not wasting one moment of your life. You started this whole thing off with a bang. You knew what the audience wanted. They just want to have a good time. We’re in Hawaii. So you definitely nailed it, Elijah.”
Perry also may have been stunned to see Heard not move on, as well. After his last performance, the “Fireworks” singer applauded him for turning into “a little bit of a dark horse” as he showed signs of improvement with each performance. She called him a “natural star on stage” and without saying it, she gave him some seriously high praise by saying, “You could, you could,” in referencing him winning the whole show.
With Perry appearing to be reeling from seeing who remained in the chairs, she never shared any feedback on Wé Ani’s performance, as she continued on her commentary by pleaing to the audience to vote for their favorites.
“But the truth is, America, you guys have the votes. You’re the ones voting,” she ranted. “And if you’re not voting, you’re not using your voice. Your faves aren’t safe. So from now on, vote for who you want to see in the Top 12.”
Bryan agreed with her, saying they’re still “processing’ what just happened, “Please go vote.”
Fans Disagree with Katy Perry’s Timing
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The lack of acknowledgement of Wé Ani’s delivery on stage had fans up in arms on Twitter. One user was flabbergasted at her response, “Katy Perry needs to leave! That was crazy rude to show her displeasure with America’s choice of Wé Ani. She had the best performance of the night!”
#AmericanIdol Katy Perry needs to apologize to We Ani immediately! So dismissive because she didn’t get her choice ! It’s called American Idol for a reason it’s America’s choice not yours!
— Peter Meister (@PeterMe75227951) April 24, 2023
A handful of other messages with a similar belief were shared across Twitter. One of them noted that Perry always wears her opinion on her sleeve but didn’t feel it warranted the response during Sunday’s results, “That was in poor taste to say what you did after Wé sang. It is America’s choice not yours. As a judge you can’t show your displeasure towards our choices.”
Perry’s comments were taken as a disapproval of Wé Ani above anything else, as opposed to her overall displeasure of seeing who didn’t make it. Fans took it as her being upset that Wé Ani was the one to make it. Without clarification, there’s no way of knowing what her intentions were with those comments.
“American Idol” airs new episodes every Sunday and Monday night on ABC.