Katy Perry is leaving American Idol after spending seven seasons as a judge on the iconic singing show.
The pop star broke the news during her Monday, Feb. 12 appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live! A clip was posted to the show's Instagram account.
'It’s connected me with the heart of America but I feel like I need to feel that pulse to my own beat,' the singer said of the show.
"So I think this will probably be my last season for Idol," Perry said when asked if she planned to stay with the show until its final season.
"I love Idol so much… It’s connected me with the heart of America but I feel like I need to feel that pulse to my own beat."
Kimmel asked how the pop star's co-hosts Lionel Richie and Luke Bryan felt about her departure.
"Well, they’ll find out tonight," she said. "They know that I have some things planned for this year."
Perry has plans to release a new album in 2024, The Sun reported late last year. The record was reportedly already almost finished at the time.
"She has been doing it on her own terms and it is quite different from anything she has released before," an unnamed source told the outlet.
It will be the singer's first release since her 2020 album Smile, which made it to No. 5 on the Billboard 200. Before this, Perry had three albums in a row make it to No. 1 on the chart.
"I love the show so much but I want to go and see the world and maybe bring new music," she told Kimmel. "It’s going to be a very exciting year – for all pop star girlies."
Perry also mentioned her plans to attend the Rock in Rio event scheduled for the September, where she'll be joined by Ed Sheeran, Imagine Dragons and Ne-Yo.
These days the pop star also has to worry about Daisy Dove, her three-year-old with actor Orlando Bloom.
The couple originally planned to tie the knot in 2020, but their plans were scuttled by the pandemic, The Mirror reported. They want to make the wedding happen in 2024.
"They're happier then ever and everyone is predicting they'll get married soon – possibly even on Valentine's Day, which is the anniversary of their engagement," an unnamed source told the outlet earlier this month.
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Perry also hinted at new music when she made the announcement on 'Jimmy Kimmel Live!'
Perry didn't rule out returning to American Idol.
"Maybe I’ll come back if they have me one day," she said.
Perry first joined the show for the 16th season in 2018 when it was revived by ABC. The original iteration of the program debuted on Fox in 2002 and aired there until 2016.
The program started with a cast of three judges: Simon Cowell, Paula Abdul and Randy Jackson. The trio was at the center of the show until season 8, when they were joined by Kara DioGuardi.
The pop star's next album is expected to come out sometime this year.
The first episode of season 22, Perry's last with the show, is set to debut on Sunday, Feb. 18.
The last season of the show finished airing in February 2023. Iam Tongi was crowned the winner. The Hawaii resident was the first non-country artist to win in three seasons.
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