The sixteenth season of American Idol premiered on March 11, 2018, on the ABC television network. It was the show's first season to air on ABC, and after 15 years, Ryan Seacrest continued his role as host, while Luke Bryan, Katy Perry, and Lionel Richie joined the show as judges. Maddie Poppe won this season on May 21, 2018, while Caleb Lee Hutchinson was the runner-up, and Gabby Barrett finished in third place.

Katheryn Elizabeth Hudson, known professionally as Katy Perry, is an American singer, songwriter, and television personality. She is known for her influence on modern pop music and her camp style, being dubbed the "Queen of Camp" by Vogue and Rolling Stone. At 16, Perry released a gospel record titled Katy Hudson (2001) under Red Hill Records, which was commercially unsuccessful. She moved to Los Angeles at 17 to venture into secular music, and later adopted the stage name "Katy Perry" from her mother's maiden name. She recorded an album while signed to Columbia Records, but was dropped before signing to Capitol Records.