Katy Perry thought she got away with dissing an ‘American Idol’ singer — but fans saw right through it
'American Idol' Season 21 finalist Wé Ani topped the rounds with her electrifying performances and strong command of her tone. However, at the time, judge Katy Perry seemed a little off during her top 20 performance. The Harlem native gave a powerhouse rendition of Adele's 'Skyfall' before the voting lines opened for the next round. She earned a standing ovation from all three judges, but strangely, after settling down, Perry didn't laud the young artist's efforts; instead, she advised the American audience to choose their 'Idols' carefully through voting. "Wé, oh my God," she said. "I'm just so shook right now. First of all, shook by the results, and I'm also shook by that song, it's so dramatic."
"There's so much drama going through my body right now, I need a nap," the 'Fireworks' hitmaker continued. "But the truth is, America, you guys have the votes. You're the ones voting, 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." Fans felt the snarky comment directed specifically at Ani and demanded an apology, as per People. "Normally, nothing Katy Perry says bothers me as she's just known for her sense of humor and quips. But her dissing of We Ani? THAT was just rude. Should she be fired? No, does she owe We Ani an apology? Definitely," an X user called out the 'American Idol' judge.
Normally, nothing Katy Perry says bothers me as she's just known for her sense of humor and quips. Bit her dissing of We Ani? THAT was just rude. Should she be fired? No
— Carly J (@cpj0303) April 24, 2023
Does she owe We Ani an apology? Definitely.
Shame on you @katyperry. Your obvious disappointment when We Ani made the top 20 was both cruel and unprofessional and @lukebryan wasnt much better. I commend @LionelRitchie for msking her feel deserving, whether she is or not
— Sharon Grobler (@SharonGrobler) July 8, 2023
"Shame on you @katyperry. Your obvious disappointment when We Ani made the top 20 was both cruel and unprofessional, and @lukebryan wasn't much better. I commend @LionelRitchie for making her feel deserving, whether she is or not," another fan ranted. "@AmericanIdol @katyperry just made it clear with her words and her face that she didn’t think We ani deserved to be up there! #alittlerude," a netizen chimed. However, few fans disagreed and argued that Perry was right. "I don't think Katy was rude, she was doing her job!! If you don't have thick skin, now you don't need to get in the MUSIC World!!" an online user remarked. "She should apologize right away!" another added.
Luke Bryan also faced music from the fans for siding with Perry. "As much as I love them, I hope @katyperry and @lukebryan apologize to We Ani for not letting her have her moment and telling America they need to vote instead of applauding her performance. Ryan said more votes than last season came in, so obviously America voted!!!" a disgruntled fan tweeted. "I think Katie and I and Lionel we're just processing the whole show and the whole year, and you're so deserving, and it's just amazing what you do," Bryan tried to ease out the moment with his comments.
Only Richie had some words of encouragement for Ani: "The amount of talent that you have is undeniable. I'm just so happy to have you on this show," he gushed. The backlash paid off, and America voted for Ani to be one of the top 5. Unfortunately, she was eliminated before reaching the top 3. As per ScreenRant, the Harlem native continues to make music and has released many notable single tracks. Her most famous being 'Disgusted', which received more than 10 million hits on Spotify.