A Belieber through and through! Katy Perry stood up for Justin Bieber after fellow American Idol judge Lionel Richie seemingly slighted his singing abilities.
Us Weekly caught up with Perry, 33, Richie, 68, and Luke Bryan after the American Idol Top 10 Reveal Live Show on Monday, April 23. Richie took a jab at Bieber, 24, when the judges spoke candidly about eliminating talented artists from the show.
?You know, you look at it and you think, ?OK, if you can hit every note perfectly, why isn?t everybody a superstar?? said the ?Endless Love? crooner. ?The answer is because it?s called a unique quality. If you look at Willie Nelson for a second, can he hit a gospel note? Um, no! And [Justin] Bieber, he doesn?t hit a high note.?
The ?Swish Swish? songstress then stepped in and came to the ?Friends? singer?s defense. ?He hits a high note,? she affirmed. Richie quipped back, ?I?m just saying.?
Bryan chimed in too, teasing Perry, ?You defend Bieber, you love some Bieber!?
But the ?Chained to the Rhythm? singer didn?t shy away from backing the ?Company? crooner?s abilities. ?I mean, he?s extremely talented,? she gushed.