Haven Madison once again showcased her original song, “Still Need You,” in a duet with Katy Perry during the Season 21 finale of American Idol.
For her final performance of the competition, Madison returned to one of the tracks that cemented her place among her fellow contestants. At the start of the season, she walked into the Idol audition studio with her head held high, ready to show the judges everything she had.
After earning the golden ticket and advancing to the next round, the Clarksville, Tennessee native took on Hollywood Week, with her emotional song, “Still Need You.”
Watch Katy Perry And Haven Madison’s Duet Below
The female singer/songwriter brought things full circle as she returned to the stage to perform this song with Katy Perry. Setting the mood for the ballad, Madison and the Idol judge appeared on top of an elevated surface that was surrounded by an impressive array of warm, glowing candles.
They each donned a casual looks as Perry dressed in a cropped button-up shirt and trendy two-toned jeans while Madison matched in a white crop top and light blue jeans.
Together, they took hold of the tear-jerking narrative that was originally written in honor of Madison’s brother as a result of his struggle with depression growing up.
The crowd’s cheers can be heard in the background as they continued to showcase their soul-stirring vocals while seamlessly transitioning back and forth between Madison’s original track and Perry’s own song, “By the Grace of God.”
Perry and her fellow Idol judges, Lionel Richie and Luke Bryan first fell in love with Madison’s talent when she graced them with another one of her jaw-dropping originals titled “Fifteen.” She was accompanied on the acoustic guitar played by her father, Jason Roy, who is the lead singer of the Christian band Building 429.
The recent performance with Perry follows Madison’s elimination from the competition. When the Top 5 was announced, the rising star learned that she would not be moving forward.
Bid Farewell To American Idol
As she came to the end of the road on Idol, she took to social media to share a few final thoughts on her experience.
“My @AmericanIdol journey has come to an end. It has been such an honor to perform on that stage and to have bonded with the people that have turned into extended family along the way,” she wrote in the post. “I am so happy to have shared my music with all of you and I hope you keep listening because there’s more where that came from. 🥰 Thank you for helping me live this dream of a lifetime!”
American Idol Finale
Live from Hollywood, the three-hour Season 21 finale of American Idol also featured performances from the Idol judges, Luke Bryan, Katy Perry and Lionel Richie, as well as the top 3 finalists: Megan Danielle, Colin Stough, and Iam Tongi.
Additionally, Ellie Goulding, Jelly Roll, Pitbull, TLC, Lil Jon, James Blunt, Jazmine Sullivan, REO Speedwagon’s Kevin Cronin, Kylie Minogue, Lainey Wilson and Lauren Daigle also performed throughout the broadcast.
American Idol alums Ruben Studdard and Clay Aiken also returned to the show.
Keith Urban Returned To Idol
Country superstar Keith Urban, who served as an American Idol judge during seasons 12 to 15, was on hand to mentor the top 3.
“To be able to come in as a mentor, and play as well, is incredible,” he told PEOPLE. “That was home for me for several seasons, and the mentoring part is probably one of the things I always enjoyed the most, getting to work with the artist one-on-one.”
During the show, several other fan-favorite contestants returned to the American Idol stage, including Haven Madison, Olive Steele, Wé Ani, Zachariah Smith, Warren Peay, and more.
Hosted by Ryan Seacrest, the American Idol season 21 finale aired on Sunday, May 21 at 8pm ET/ 5pm PT.
