'American Idol' Alum Talks Still Being 'Traumatized' By Katy Perry

American Idol alum Adriel Carrion can't let go of his awkward, humiliating run-in with Katy Perry. Carrion auditioned back during season 19 and moved on to the competition rounds, completing it all at just 18.

But recently he revealed that Perry's criticism and his own embarrassing moment that followed are haunting him to this day. Sharing a clip of the season on TikTok, Carrion captioned the video, "SHE IS IN MY NIGHTMARES NOW!!"

@adriel_carrion

SHE IS IN MY NIGHTMARES NOW!! 😂🫶🏼🍉#watermelonsugar #americanidol #nightmare #katyperry #harrystyles #traumatized

♬ original sound – Adriel🪐🌟

The moment sees Carrion and fellow alum Anthony Guzman teaming up to perform a duet in the Hollywood round of the competition. Then Perry reveals that Harry Styles' hit song, "Watermelon Sugar" is off the table from that point forward. "We have officially banned everyone from singing 'Watermelon Sugar,'" Perry says from her perch at the judge's table.

When Carrion and Guzman arrive to perform, Lionel Richie asks what they'll be singing and the duo tease, "something sweet for you." "Not 'Watermelon Sugar,'" Perry said, planting some dramatic seeds of disappointment for the pair to nurture.

"I can't take another 'Watermelon Sugar,'" Perry said again. "Is this 'Watermelon Sugar?'"

Carrion's reaction in the clip tells the entire story, driven home by his current reaction to the entire moment. "It's the way that it has been three years and I'm still traumatized by this moment," he tells the camera. "I could be getting my beauty rest and all I hear in my nightmare is, 'Not Watermelon Sugar.'"

Carrion's initial audition for the show did not make the cut during the 2021 season, and as Us Weekly notes, Carrion didn't make it to the top 20. His reaction at the time and his reaction in the video might tell quite the story, but there's sure to be a bit of it that's being played up for the audience.

That said, if you were in a similar situation, you'd probably have some chronic trauma to deal with. That said, Perry has talked about the audition process in the past and how they try to avoid being nasty. That doesn't mean she's safe from trouble with overwhelming positivity either. We have seen that play out before.