'American Idol' Sneak Peek: Katy Perry Is Left Speechless After Contestant's Audition (Exclusive)

Don’t judge a book by its cover.

A formerly homeless singer-songwriter showed the world what happens when you don’t give up during the latest episode of “American Idol“.

 contestants are keeping it in the family! Former top eight finalist Nadia Turner got the surprise of a lifetime during season 20’s fourth auditions episode on Sunday, after getting tricked into attending her daughter, Zaréh’s audition, on the guise that they were headed out to enjoy a mother-daughter spa day.Zaréh, not only competed on the show 17 years after her mother but wore the same gold halter top for her audition that Nadia wore to her audition for the show's fourth season in 2005. Season 4 is the season Carrie Underwood famously won, after going head-to-head with Bo Bice.With the help of Ryan Seacrest and the American Idol crew, Zaréh was able to fool her mom, blindfolding her and bringing her to the show's set for the big reveal.Ryan was there to meet Nadia and once he took her hands and said his signature, «This… is ,» the jig was up.

. The 23-year-old musician auditioned during Sunday's episode while five and a half months pregnant with a baby boy.«Being on the show pregnant is actually not going to be an obstacle for me,» Haley assured viewers on Sunday, telling host Ryan Seacrest that she'd already named her little guy, Jaelyn. She performed Miley Cyrus' «The Climb» for judges Katy Perry, Lionel Richie, and Luke Bryan, who all seemed to be on the fence after the performance. Luke called the audition «not perfect,» saying, «There were some amateur moments, but then there were some real moments.

Thomas Patrick Moran brought some Irish-flair to “American Idol” on Sunday night.

Longtime viewers of “American Idol” will see a blast from the past on this week’s episode.

Another star is born on American Idol!

as contestant Sam Finelli faced his fears and auditioned for judges Katy Perry, Lionel Richie, and Luke Bryan. The 28-year-old bakery assistant opened up about his struggles with autism, expressing how music helped him get through a difficult childhood.«I don't connect with people very well. It's just a small part of who I am,» Sam explained.

as contestant Sam Finelli faced his fears to audition for judges Katy Perry, Lionel Richie, and Luke Bryan. The 28-year-old bakery assistant opened up about his struggles with autism, expressing how music helped him get through a difficult childhood.«I don't connect with people very well. It's just a small part of who I am,» Sam explained.

Taniya Boatwright explained how she was inspired by a former “American Idol” contestant as she auditioned for the judges during Sunday’s episode.

audition, she had also never performed before she stepped on the stage in front of judges Katy Perry, Luke Bryan, and Lionel Richie. The 18-year-old native of Boone County, West Virginia, shared the story of her difficult childhood, and being raised by her grandparents. Kelsie noted that her grandmother sadly died in 2021 after suffering complications from COVID-19. Noting that her grandmother «pushed her» to try things, Kelsie decided to «step outside» of her comfort zone in her honor.

A star is born. American Idol viewers met Kelsie Dolin during the second week of auditions — and she left a big impression.

Katy Perry has had some pretty memorable moments during her time as a judge on American Idol, but a recent one allowed her to finally clear some things up regarding one of her biggest hits.MORE: Katy Perry taken aback by very surprising audition during American Idol premiereThe singer had a conversation with fellow judges Lionel Richie and Luke Bryan as they talked about artists often adding too many unnecessary flairs to their singing.WATCH: Katy Perry's Chocotopia adventureLuke then started singing to Katy's hit Firework by performing the lines in the chorus as "up, up, up," and then "ah, ah, ah," to her annoyance."It's not 'up, up, up' and it's not 'ah, ah, ah'," she said, to which Luke retorted: "Well what is it then, because I've been dying to know all these years?"MORE: Katy Perry looks unreal in all-leather outfit"It's 'awe, awe, awe' everybody, get it right!" she said. Luke even questioned: "Is that a word in the dictionary?" to which Katy responded: "It is!"She even added on to the career-long debate about her song, saying: "It's not Fireworks, it's Firework."A post shared by KATY PERRY (@katyperry)Katy cleared up what the lyrics for Firework really were for LukeKaty posted the clip on her Instagram with the caption: "FOR THE OFFICIAL RECORD • it is AWE not UP • it is FIREWORK not FIREWORKSSS.

Kenedi Anderson just landed her biggest fan.

Miss. America 2016 Betty Maxwell is ready for her next crown.

Coming from famous families! Jim Carrey’s daughter, Aretha Franklin’s granddaughter and more celebrity kids have tried out for American Idol.

Aretha Franklin’s legacy will live on forever, and now, we’re getting another reminder of how far her influence has extended.Over the weekend, fans got to see the legend’s 15-year-old granddaughter, Grace, audition for Season 20 of American Idol, proving that singing runs in the family.“I was really close to my grandma,” the teenager said during the episode on Sunday, February 27. “I got to see her all the time.