'American Idol' contestant Jack Blocker thought he didn't get off on 'right foot' with Katy Perry

Jack Blocker may not have been crowned the winner of "American Idol," but that doesn't mean he didn't pick up a lesson or two from the show.

The second runner-up told US Weekly in an interview at CMA Fest over the weekend that the judges of the singing competition show — Luke Bryan, Katy Perry and Lionel Richie — imparted some wisdom on the 25-year-old singer.

"Just the confidence of them kind of encouraging me to do what I do as an artist," Blocker told the outlet. "It's tough in Nashville, 'cause you watch people climb the charts and you're like, 'I want that to be me. Should I be doing something that they’re doing?'

"And over and over they're just like, 'Hey, do what you do well. Do what makes you unique. Even if it's weird facial expressions by the end of it. But just lean into that and be you as an artist," he continued. "And so I've just taken that and kind of ran with it for the show. Really believed it more than ever."

The Dallas-born singer later called Perry a "good friend" and said they remained "close" despite her voting no for him after his audition. Blocker said he initially thought they hadn't gotten off "on the right foot."

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"Once we got to LA and the shows were live, and she'd come up after a show, and she'd kind of gimme a look, like, 'What are you doing?'" he said. "And then at the end … she came up to me and she was like, 'What happens if you win this thing?' I was like, 'I don’t know. I have no idea. I haven't gotten that far yet.'"

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Blocker said the love he's received post-"American Idol" from fans has been "so cool" and coming off the show, he's excited to "keep going." He performed at CMA Fest over the weekend, calling the experience a "dream come true."

"I've been wanting to do what I love to do as a career for a long time and it’s always felt like a distant dream," he told the outlet. "It feels real right now."

Abi Carter was crowned the winner of Season 22 of "American Idol" last month, beating out Blocker and 23-year-old singer Will Moseley.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: American Idol runner-up Jack Blocker calls Katy Perry a 'good friend'