Noah Thompson sings John Mayer song on ‘American Idol,’ leading to jokes by Katy Perry

Noah Thompson admitted he had never heard the John Mayer song “Heartbreak Warfare” before a judge chose it for him on “American Idol” on Monday, April 25.

The singer from Louisa, Kentucky, also appeared unaware Mayer and “American Idol” judge Katy Perry were previously engaged during their off-and-on relationship nearly a decade ago.

So when Thompson guessed it was Perry who chose “Heartbreak Warfare” for him, he couldn’t have been more wrong.

“Noah, I feel like maybe you should Wikipedia me,” Perry quipped to Thompson.

“Who’s going to pay for my extra hour of therapy?” she later joked after Thompson’s performance.

It was Luke Bryan, not Perry, who suggested “Heartbreak Warfare,” which Mayer wrote before he and Perry were a couple.

Bryan applauded Thompson for challenging himself by learning the song so quickly. His performance comes a day after he sang “Stand By Me” by Ben E. King, which helped him advance to the “American Idol” top 10.

“To take a song and really kind of crash course it, it was done really, really well,” Bryan said. “Where I’m most happy with — other than it was my song (selection) — was the fact you challenged yourself, and that was a big move.”

Lionel Richie commented that Thompson “controlled” the performance.

“What I love about you is how you’re growing and you’re really stepping in that space of your career,” Richie said.

Thompson, who has advanced deep into “American Idol” with his country sound and twist on pop songs, will learn if he advances on Sunday, May 1.

This story was originally published April 26, 2022 at 9:23 AM with the headline "Noah Thompson sings John Mayer song on ‘American Idol,’ leading to jokes by Katy Perry."