'American Idol' alum Steven James rips Katy Perry's new song: 'Can’t be same person who eliminated me'

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: After seven years of judging talent on 'American Idol', Katy Perry finds herself on the other side of the table — facing some brutal feedback from a former contestant who was eliminated by her.

Over the weekend, former 'American Idol' contestant and musician Steven James revisited their history in a viral TikTok video while reacting to Perry’s new track titled 'OK'. 

James, who was eliminated by Perry on 'American Idol' five years ago, wasn't exactly subtle in his critique. “This can’t be the same person who eliminated me on American Idol 5 years ago,” he wrote over the video, wearing an exaggerated grimace and side-eye as the song played, Entertainment Weekly reported.

Social media responds to Steven James' feedback on Katy Perry's song

The internet wasted no time jumping into the mix. One TikTok commenter replied to the clip, "Sounds like a theme song for a PBS kids show," while another joked, "Damn, when you put it that way."

The roast didn’t stop on TikTok. Instagram users chimed in as well, backing James’ take with comments like, "He’s got a point lol," and, “Bro’s on his revenge arc.” Another added, "Katy girl. He’s not wrong haha. 😂."

'OK' was released earlier this month as part of '1432', the deluxe version of Perry’s album '143'. While the deluxe edition features four additional tracks, it seems 'OK' is the one sparking the most chatter—for better or worse.

Perry’s latest track features lyrics that read more like a reassuring pep talk, “And everybody say, ‘Hey, it’s gonna be okay’ I’m always gonna be around No matter if you’re up or down.”

It’s undeniably catchy, though not everyone seems to agree on its appeal. That said, the deluxe album also features three other new songs: 'I Woke Up', 'Has a Heart', and the festive 'No Tears for New Year’s'.

Perry promoted the release on Instagram with a cheeky nod to the album’s title. “I WOKE UP and wanted to give my KatyCats an early holiday gift. To everyone who HAS A HEART, I wish you NO MORE TEARS FOR NEW YEAR’S. I’m always gonna be around no matter if you’re up or down. 1432 is here OK!” she wrote in the caption.

According to Billboard, the original album title '143' is shorthand for “I love you.” The deluxe version’s name '1432' refreshes it to mean “I love you too.”

A year of big changes for Katy Perry

This year has been one of reinvention for Katy Perry, both personally and professionally. In February, she announced her departure from 'American Idol', where she had been a judge since 2018. Perry hinted the move would allow her to refocus on her music career.

However, her September album release has struggled to hit the right notes. Critics have not been kind and the project drew additional backlash for its lead single, 'Woman’s World'.

Despite being framed as a female empowerment anthem, the track faced scrutiny for its collaboration with Dr Luke, who has been embroiled in a highly publicized legal battle with Kesha over allegations of assault.

Addressing the controversy on Alex Cooper’s 'Call Her Daddy' podcast, Perry defended her decision. “I understand that it started a lot of conversations, and he was one of many collaborators that I worked with. But the reality is, it comes from me. These songs are my truth and my experience, and he was one of the people who helped facilitate that," she said.

"I understand that it started a lot of conversations, and he was one of many collaborators that I collaborated with. But, the reality is it comes from me. The truth is I wrote these songs from my experience of my whole life going through this metamorphosis, and he was one of the people to help facilitate all that, one of the writers, one of the producers," she said.

Having said that, Perry isn’t slowing down. Earlier this week, she lit up the stage during ABC’s two-hour iHeartRadio 'Jingle Ball special', performing alongside stars like Tate McRae and NCT Dream.

Perry is now gearing up for her Lifetimes Tour in 2025, which kicks off in Mexico City on April 23 at Arena CDMX. From there, she’ll take the show to Australia in June before embarking on the North American leg in July.

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