Jelly Roll‘s love for Katy Perry is a part of him that you’re never gonna ever take away from him. 

After the “Teenage Dream” singer expressed her hope that the country star (real name Jason Bradley DeFord) takes over for her as a judge on American Idol, he reacted by heaping praise on her. 

“I love you, Katy Perry,” he exclusively told E! News May 4 at iHeartRadio’s iHeartCountry festival. “Find you a friend that talks about you like Katy Perry talks about me in the media. Thank you, Katy Perry. I love you to death.” (For more Jelly Roll, tune in to E! News tonight, May 7 at 11 p.m.)

And the “Son of a Sinner” singer shared that he especially loves Katy’s authenticity. 

“She’s the same person privately as she is publicly,” he continued. “Because every time I’ve seen her, she’s like you need to be on American Idol. And the first time somebody asked her it was y’all and she was like ‘Jelly Roll.'”