Katy Perry couldn't stop gushing over 'American Idol' singer — even invited him home for a private gig
Katy Perry was once left smitten by 22-year-old Miami boy Nick Merico during the 2019 season 17 'American Idol' auditions. As per Entertainment Tonight, the rising star charmed judges with his flawless piano skills and impeccable rendition of 'Back to Black' by Amy Winehouse. "Can you prepare him for all the girls who'll be screaming?" Luke Bryan told Perry after his performance. "Nick, you know you're like, a handsome gentleman, correct? You've heard it once or twice?" Perry inquired before questioning Merico about his dating life. As Merico denied being in a relationship, Perry pressed, "Do you play gigs?" "A couple. I do a lot of open mics if I'm honest," Merico replied. "I'm having an open mic at my house tomorrow," the 'Dark Horse' hitmaker quipped.
Viewers back home enjoyed the banter and flocked to chime in. "Katy always finds a new crush in every show," a fan commented on YouTube. "Seriously dude he is so handsome even I have a crush on him now," a netizen fawned. "The way she popped open her eyes when he was close to her, she was the fan," noted another. Meanwhile, one gushed, "I can't get enough of this!!! Katie made ME blush! Her innocence when they said hello is priceless." Amused, a person joked, "Imagine this guy telling his friends that Katy Perry thinks he's hot." Merico later admitted, "Having Katy Perry react like that made me feel great. I mean, I've had a crush on her forever." He successfully passed the round, winning the golden ticket.
Unfortunately, Merico had to quit the season abruptly after an ongoing family emergency. “Something happened with my family that I can’t really disclose that forced me to back out of the competition,” he later explained while appearing on a Skype video interview with talk show host Colt Balok. The budding singer refrained from discussing the details. As for Perry, this wasn't the first time she was charmed on the talent show. She had a similar reaction to contestant Trevor Holmes in 2018. "Yeah, my eyes lit up. What's your name dreamboat?" she said during season 16 auditions.
When Holmes introduced himself as a part-time construction worker, Perry quipped, "I mean here's the thing like only hot guys are typically named Trevor is that right yeah?" "He's hot he does construction on the side, and he loves his mom," the 'Teenage Dream' singer continued. Impressed, Perry asked, "Are you engaged...?"
"I do have a girl," a shy Holmes confessed. "I am singing my heart out and she is there, flirting with me," Holmes later told 'Good Morning America.' He too won the golden ticket but was eliminated during the Hollywood week. At the time, host Ryan Seacrest joked, "So Trevor's girlfriend won't have to worry about Katy Perry anymore," the Daily Mail reported.