Katy Perry Praises Ariana Grande as the "Best Singer of Our Generation"

Katy Perry (L) and actress Ariana Grande attend Nickelodeon's 26th Annual Kids' Choice Awards at USC Galen Center on March 23, 2013 in Los Angeles, California.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

published 22 May 2024

Singer Katy Perry is giving fellow entertainer Ariana Grande all of her flowers.

In a recent and exclusive interview with Extra, the former American Idol judge discussed Season 22 winner Abi Carter, recalling a compliment she gave to Grande and why Carter is also a singer in a class all of her own.

"I think (Carter) was authentic; I think she was humble; I think she was singing with an angelic frequency,” Perry said. “The way that she sang from the heart and the cry and the crackle, it was just like: 'Whoa. This is a whole ‘nother voice.'"

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Perry went on to say that Carter's voice was "unlike anything I've heard in pop music," adding that the "last time" she said that about a performer she was talking about "Ariana Grande when she went on The Ellen (DeGeneres) Show."

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

Perry's comments are not the first time the singer has publicly praised Grande, not only for her singing prowess but also for her overall kindness.

During a 2019 appearance on the Ellen K Morning Show, Perry detailed a chance run-in with Grande while the pair dined at the same sushi restaurant.

"At the end of my long meal with Orlando and his son, we finished after an hour and a half and we asked for the check, and they're like: 'Ariana Grande has taken care of it.' And we're like: 'Oh my god! That's so cool!'" she said at the time.

"Orlando's son is 8, so I think he was like: 'Dope,'" Perry added, going on to call Grande's random act of kindness "a boss move" and "such a cute gesture."

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During the same exclusive interview with Extra, Perry confirmed that she's preparing to release some new music into the world after saying goodbye to American Idol.

During a February appearance Jimmy Kimmel Live!, the singer teased her new album, saying that she "has some things planned for this year."

“So it’s going to be a very, very exciting year … for all pop star girlies!" she added.

Perhaps Grande will be featured on her new album? A pop star girlie can dream!

Danielle Campoamor is Marie Claire's weekend editor covering all things news, celebrity, politics, culture, live events, and more. In addition, she is an award-winning freelance writer and former NBC journalist with over a decade of digital media experience covering mental health, reproductive justice, abortion access, maternal mortality, gun violence, climate change, politics, celebrity news, culture, online trends, wellness, gender-based violence and other feminist issues. You can find her work in The New York Times, Washington Post, TIME, New York Magazine, CNN, MSNBC, NBC, TODAY, Vogue, Vanity Fair, Harper's Bazaar, Marie Claire, InStyle, Playboy, Teen Vogue, Glamour, The Daily Beast, Mother Jones, Prism, Newsweek, Slate, HuffPost and more. She currently lives in Brooklyn, New York with her husband and their two feral sons. When she is not writing, editing or doom scrolling she enjoys reading, cooking, debating current events and politics, traveling to Seattle to see her dear friends and losing Pokémon battles against her ruthless offspring. You can find her on X, Instagram, Threads, Facebook and all the places.