American Idol sang Katy Perry and her tenure on the show out in style. Several singers took the stage to single a blend of Perry's hit songs, which you can view below. But of course, Perry managed to steal the show herself.
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She ended up mounting the judges' table, standing on it in what her fans saw as a power move. One wrote, "She's so crazy, love her!"
.@katyperry on a power trip after they did a tribute for her leaving #americanidol! pure chaos lol pic.twitter.com/C0hPoOHjlR
— sarah ? (@xkatycatsarah) May 20, 2024
Previously, host Ryan Seacrest expressed his sadness that she's leaving, saying, "I'm going to miss you." You can watch the full performance below:
Katy Perry was honored on American Idol with a medley of some of her hits. pic.twitter.com/HZpdYGJjbq
— Katy Perry Today (@todaykatyp) May 20, 2024
Fans also took to social media to thank Perry for her time on the show. One person wrote, "I will miss Katy as a judge. There is nobody that can take her place. The bond y'all have is irreplaceable. Thank you for letting America in to your friendship." Another commented, "I will miss Katie! She is fabulous! It's going to be hard to replace her!????" Yet another person wrote, "Will miss you and hopefully they will find a new judge that's pleasant to watch and works well with Luke and Lionel ?."
Another wrote, "I will miss her! I love her personality and all she brings to the show! So bummed she's leaving but wish her the best!"
What's Next for Katy Perry?
After such an extensive run on American Idol, what is Katy Perry going to do now with all her free time?
Luke Bryan did a fair bit of speculating himself in the buildup to the finale. He knows Perry all too well and imagines she has been sculpting out her plans for a while now. "I think she's probably launching world tours and stuff where she goes around the world," he says. "And so she probably had to make a decision several months out to get in front of her plans."
It's not implausible. Perry hasn't released a proper album in almost 4 years. She dangles a single, or a feature with a dance artist, or a vague soundtrack cut every once in a while. But she's mostly been absent from the limelight outside of her work on American Idol. It could be time for her to workshop some new ideas after her last two efforts didn't breed much fruitful success. Maybe this run on Idol will give her the confidence and inspiration she needs.
Just as likely, she could just go back to performing. She still has diehard fans and there is a bountiful market for those reminiscing on early 2010s glory days. In between her Idol judging, she spent her nights performing for a Las Vegas residency that netted her $168 million. She could just as easily sign another contract for that form of exorbitant performance. Or, as Bryan suggests, launch a world tour celebrating her former glory as one of the industry's biggest pop stars.
No matter what happens, Katy Perry will have plenty of options and opportunities as she leaves behind a fruitful American Idol legacy.
