Katy Perry and Lionel Richie console contestant on latest episode of 'American Idol'

American Idol made a comeback on February 14, 2021, with its nineteenth season airing on ABC. The show, whose last season was shifted to a completely remote and virtual mode because of the pandemic, made a comeback this season with live performances. The Top 12 contestants of American Idol's latest season sung Oscar-nominated songs like the Academy Awards 2021 are happening next week.

American Idol's judges gave their views on each performance. Katy Perry, one of American Idol's judges, consoled a crying contestant, and Lionel Richie had some pearls of wisdom to impart as well.

Katy Perry consoles a sobbing contestant

One of American Idol's contestants, Hunter Metts, a 22-year old singer sang Falling Slowly from the movie Once. The song is originally sung by Glen Hansard and Markéta Irglová.  During the final moments of the song, the song developer software faced a mishap. This left Hunter visibly shaken and he broke down in tears on stage. He took off his mic and stood with his back facing the audience. 

Judges rushed in to support and console the singer. The audience cheered for his performance as well. Katy Perry began by saying that "Perfection is an illusion". She further added that his performance was the best so far and it shows that he is human and vulnerable. She applauded the contestant by saying that he was so connected during the performance that he forgot where he was and that is what makes it perfect.

Lionel Richie further added to this by bringing up a similar incident that he faced during one of his performances in the past. He said that he had forgotten the lyrics of Hello, but the crowd loved it. Richie, on the other hand, was thinking that it was the worst night of his life. Richie further added that Mett's performance is an "absolutely perfect run". 

The judges later, in a Q&A session spoke about the pressure that keeps on mounting on the contestants to deliver spotless performances. On what counts as a "perfect performance", Richie said that perfect performance is when you get "the crowd to pay attention" to what you did "no matter what you do" on stage. 

Promo Image Source: Katy Perry Instagram