Exclusive

Katy Perry Tries and Fails to Sing as High as Mariah Carey on American Idol

Mariah Carey's signature whistletone is not one of Katy Perry's many talents, according to this exclusive clip from American Idol

By Lauren Piester Mar 19, 2018 5:00 PMTags

Katy Perry can do a lot of things, but she cannot sing like Mariah Carey. 

In this exclusive clip from tonight's episode of American Idol, a contestant reveals to judges Perry, Luke Bryan, and Lionel Ritchie that her inspiration is former Idol judge Mariah Carey, and that she has even taught herself to sing in "whistle tones," that absurdly high register that Carey is both fond of and good at. 

The men are confused as to what "whistle tone" means, so the contestant encourages Perry to show them. It does not go well. 

"I can't do whistle tone," Perry admits after a bit of extremely high-pitched screeching. 

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The contestant, however, can do whistle tones, and the judges are pretty stunned when she shows off her skills. We don't yet know if she can do regular tone or if she gets her ticket to Hollywood, but something tells us the answer is "probably." 

Perry has already made quite the splash as a judge of ABC's American Idol revival, and we're only two weeks in. She connected with a contestant through use of the word "wig," and then caused a bit of controversy by giving another singer his first kiss. What might she do next?! There's practically an entire season left to find out. 

American Idol airs Sundays and Mondays at 8 p.m. on ABC.