Alert – Katy Perry brands fellow pop diva Ariana Grande ‘the best singer of our generation’ as she recalls hearing her voice for the first time

Despite being a vocal powerhouse herself, Katy Perry has branded Ariana Grande ‘the best singer of our generation.’

The multi-Grammy Award nominee, 39, brought up Grande’s four-octave range backstage at the American Idol finale on Monday night.

She did so while discussing season 22 winner Abi Carter’s ‘angelic’ voice with Extra and admitted that she hasn’t felt this strongly about an artist since Grande, 30, emerged in the early 2010s.

‘The voice is unlike anything I’ve heard in pop music. The last time I said that [was about] Ariana Grande when she went on The Ellen Show,’ Perry said.

Grande made her Ellen Show debut in 2013, where she performed her debut single ‘The Way’ featuring Mac Miller.

Despite being a vocal powerhouse herself, Katy Perry has branded Ariana Grande ‘the best singer of our generation’; Katy and Ariana seen in 2013

‘I was like, “Oh, this girl is the best singer of our generation,”‘ Perry recalled. ‘So, I don’t say that lightly.’

Perry has yet to collaborate with Grande on music but the pair have formed a strong friendship that’s spanned over a decade.

The duo are among the best-selling musicians of all time and are both currently tied with Beyonce for seventh-most Billboard Hot 100 No. 1s among solo women, as per Forbes.

Grande released her seventh studio album, Eternal Sunshine, back in March while Perry hasn’t released an album since 2021’s Smile.

But the mother-of-one teased to Extra that she’s ‘pregnant with my next album.’

Monday night’s American Idol finale was bittersweet for Perry as it marked her final episode as a judge after seven seasons on the panel with Lionel Richie and Luke Bryan.

The ABC show wrapped up with a jam-packed three-hour episode, which saw Will Moseley, Jack Blocker and Abi sing for survival in a bid to be crowned season 22 champion 21-year-old Abi from Indio, California ultimately won the $250,000 cash prize and a recording contract.

Perry was visibly emotional throughout the night as she delivered her final words and a powerful performance.

For her duet of her song ‘What Makes a Woman’ with Blocker, Perry towered over the audience in a 20ft tall dress that featured the faces of every top 24 contestant that appeared on the show during her tenure.

The frock ultimately featured a total of 168 faces on it and was so elaborate that it took a team of seven people to transport it around the set.

Katy shocked American Idol fans back in February when she revealed on Jimmy Kimmel Live that this would be her last season.

The multi-Grammy Award nominee, 39, brought up Grande’s four-octave range while speaking backstage with Extra at the American Idol finale on Monday night

She did so while discussing season 22 winner Abi Carter’s (pictured) ‘angelic’ voice with Extra and admitted that she hasn’t felt this strongly about an artist since Grande emerged in the early 2010s

‘The voice is unlike anything I’ve heard in pop music. The last time I said that [was about] Ariana Grande when she went on The Ellen Show,’ Perry said; Perry and Grande seen in 2013

While a replacement for Katy has yet to be formally announced by show bosses, she has weighed in on what is required to take over the reins.

‘I hope it’s someone fearless,’ she told ET. ‘I hope it’s someone that doesn’t mince their words, maybe someone a little polarizing just like myself.

‘There’s a lot of people that’s like, “She’s awful! She should go!” And there’s a lot of people that are like, “She speaks her mind! She’s authentic!”

‘Whatever, you can’t win ’em all. I think it’s actually better not to win ’em all because that means you actually have a point of view.’

She then teased a potential return to the show. ‘Keep that seat hot. I mean, who knows. I loved everything I got to experience and learn,’ she said.