Katy Perry praised Ariana Grande, calling her “the greatest singer of our generation.”
The “California Gurls” hitmaker praised the most recent American Idol winner, Abi Carter, during an interview with Extra magazine, and offered a sweet shout-out to the “Thank U, Next” singer.
“I thought she was authentic, humble and had the voice of an angel,” she said. “To see her singing from the heart, screaming and trembling, it was just like, wow. This is a whole other voice.”
She continued, “Her voice is unlike anything I've heard in pop music. The last time I said that was when Ariana Grande was on 'The Ellen DeGeneres Show' and I was like, 'Oh my god, this girl is the best singer of our generation,' so I don't say that lightly.”
Ariana first appeared on the talk show in May 2013 to perform her debut single “The Way” with the late rapper Mac Miller. She made multiple appearances on the show over its 19 seasons, performing hits such as “Breathe” and “Thank U, Next.”
Abi was crowned the winner of American Idol during Sunday night's live finale, which marked Katie's final appearance as a judge alongside Lionel Richie and Luke Bryan.
The Roar singer was seen crying in the judges' box as Abi sang her post-winning song and this season's contestants came onstage.