Michael Williams instantly grabbed judge Katy Perry‘s attention with his smooth falsetto during the season 21 kickoff of American Idol on Sunday (Feb. 19). Jokingly playing with her hair and touching her wedding ring as she listened to his performance, Perry was captivated by Williams’ slow crooned rendition of Bruno Mars’ 2010 hit “Talking to the Moon.”
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Leaving Perry speechless after his performance, judge Luke Bryan grabbed the mic to give Williams some feedback. “Great job, great all-around singing,” said Bryan. “You kind of got your sound. I can’t understand why we haven’t seen you yet. Good stuff.”
Adding to Bryan’s response, judge Lionel Richie commented: “There’s an old line, ‘You’re not just a pretty face’ — thank God. In this case, we’re looking for a package, and you walked in the door. I like the way you walked in here.”
Perry listed off artists that the young singer reminded her of, calling out Shawn Mendes, Harry Styles, and naming Williams along with them. “I think you’re top 10 material,” said Perry. “I think your vocals are amazing. They gotta get pushed, but you can control a room with a whisper.”
The 21-year-old Mason, Ohio, native is no stranger to singing competitions. When he was still a teenager, he competed in season 18 of The Voice in 2020.
In addition to Williams, there were two more familiar faces during the first round of season 21 AI auditions. Megan Danielle, who also competed on season 18 of The Voice with Williams, along with Kya Monée, who sang “I’m Here” from the Broadway musical The Color Purple. Monée first appeared on Season 19 of American Idol and shared a duet with runner-up Willie Spence, who died in a car accident at the age of 23 in 2022.
Williams recently released his first single “Honey” in January 2023, followed by his second, “If We Got Us,” in February.
Photos: ABC/Eric McCandless
