American Idol judges Luke Bryan, Katy Perry and Lionel Richie saw the final auditions of season 21 in an episode that aired on Sunday, March 26, and they imparted some strong advice to a 20-year-old hopeful named Sierra Harris. The singer from Massachusetts showcased her lively personality right off the bat by bringing a bedazzled spoon to use as her "microphone." Harris also said she has "trailer park mouth" from her upbringing. She then launched into a cover of Heart's "Barracuda." Perry commented that the singer "looks the part," with her full leather outfit.
Harris belted the classic '70s rock song, but Bryan stopped her to say that the song is a tough one to "get a read" on a singer. Perry agreed, saying she sings the song "after six shots."
"'Barracuda's like a 'caricature' song," Bryan said. "You have a tremendous voice."
Perry then asked Harris if she could sing her own 2010 hit, "Firework," and Harris agreed. The singer sang the song successfully, and Perry's response of throwing her empty coffee cup and laying her head down on the table gave Harris all the answers she needed about how the performance was perceived.
Bryan and Richie humorously comforted Perry in her defeated state, as Bryan said, "You walked right into it. She smacked you over the head with her spoon."
Bryan's demeanor then changed as he addressed Harris and told her to "get serious."
"You're dong all this (bleep) and you don't even care," Bryan said, as Perry shrieked.
"You know what it's like?" Perry added. "It's like you're just at karaoke. I wanted you to sing 'Firework' because that's a challenging song to sing, and you slayed that. I have to squeeze both of my butt cheeks together so hard!"
Richie also addressed Harris, saying some singers have to be "gimmicky" because they don't possess the talent, but in her case, Richie believes she has the talent. Perry also told Harris that she doesn't have to rely on her voice as her "party trick" any longer.
Harris added, "I'm here for a reason. I truly am."
Although the judges shared some hesitancy, they eventually voted her through to the Hollywood round.
American Idol airs Sunday nights on ABC.
