Ahead of her American Idol performance, Katy Perry made a grand entrance to the finale in an orange cutout gown with a sheer, sparkling skirt. She was giving off major summer vibes with her sequin gown. She took her seat at the judges’ table and watched the finale unfold.
She later changed into a striped shirt and jeans to perform with American Idol contestant Haven Madison. They sat on top of a piano and performed Haven’s original “Still Need You” and Katy’s “By The Grace of God.”
Katy and her fellow judges, Lionel Richie and Luke Bryan, mentored the top 3 from the very start. After weeks of hard-fought competition, Iam Tongi, Megan Danielle, and Colin Stough also took the stage during the finale ahead of Iam being crowned the new winner.
A few weeks before the finale, Katy and Lionel traveled to England to perform at King Charles III’s coronation concert. Katy dazzled in a gold metallic gown and performed her hits like “Roar” and “Firework.” After the concert, Katy and Lionel took a moment to say hello during American Idol’s live show and had King Charles and Queen Camilla make a cameo appearance.
During Disney Night, Katy naturally went all-out with her costume. This year, she dressed up as Elastigirl from The Incredibles, a latex outfit and all. In previous years, Katy has gotten all dolled up as Snow White, Dumbo, and more.
Ahead of the grand finale, Katy participated in Buzzfeed’s iconic Puppy Interview. She opened up about the best aspects of being an American Idol judge. “Being able to help people find their spark inside of them, their purpose,” she said. As for the biggest challenge, Katy admitted, “Probably being a woman and having a strong opinion.”
American Idol has been renewed by ABC for season 22, which will premiere in 2024. At the time of renewal, the network hadn’t announced whether or not Katy, Lionel, and Luke would return as judges.