American Idol contestant who went viral for one-word response to Katy Perry speaks out 7 years later
A viral contestant of American Idol has spoken out about his life right now, which is different than when he came face-to-face with Katy Perry and uttered one simple word to her.
Of all of the popular clips that came out of that show, the one of Noah Davis was probably the funniest.
Being a fresh-faced, 18-year-old at the time, Davis took on the judges during season 16 and was immediately in the line of Perry’s sight.
The Arkansas native was hoping to start his musical career when he was in front of Lionel Ritchie and Luke Bryan, but what really came out of his mouth was a popular social media meme at the time.
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He looked straight at pop-singer Perry, and with her short and blonde pixie cut, he said the word ‘wig’.
Nothing else, just wig.
To this, Perry said in shock: "Wig? Did you just say wig?"
Davis nodded and then Perry showed her knowledge of online culture but saying: "I know, wig. I feel that already.”
She then went on to say that she was ready for her 'wig' to go flying out of the room.
For those of you who don’t know what that is, it’s essentially just a way to say that you are excited or so happy about something that you could rip your wig off.
But while a meme was created, Davis looks back on it as something that he’s grown past.
He told PEOPLE: "I don't remember saying that because those days are so long. It takes forever, and you're so tired.
"I came out of the audition, and all I knew was I made it through. I saw the video for the first time before it aired, and I thought, 'Oh, my God, that's so funny.' "
Even though Davis was eliminated not long after his journey began, but he didn’t give up.
"I'm very different. I don't think I was a fully-realized Noah Davis. I was 18 and had just come from nowhere in Arkansas. I had never done anything like that, and I hadn't realized my full potential," Davis said.
"I was shy back then, and I've come out since then. It's hard to believe I wasn't out of the closet when I said 'wig' to Katy Perry, but I wasn't."
A great twist in his story showed him pack up and move to Los Angeles with ‘no money’ and ‘not a lot of friends’, and he swiftly began to make music on TikTok.
He released his EP, The A Side just two years ago, and is hoping he’ll take off.
"I want to feel sexy and hot, and I should have music that makes me feel good about myself. So I made it," Davis admitted.
"Then other people were coming to me saying, 'I've been waiting for music that is sexy and queer.' And I thought, 'I didn't realize that that was so important.' "
However, that doesn’t mean that he’s forgotten his connection with the American Idol judge.
He shared that when it comes to Perry, ‘she's going to be an icon forever,’ and he also would love to recreate the viral moment with her for all to see.
Topics: Katy Perry, American Idol, Music
Britt Jones