Noah Davis shared a viral moment with Katy Perry on ‘American Idol’ when they both said ‘wig’

Noah Davis went viral seven years ago for saying 'wig' to Katy Perry on American Idol

After the show, he moved to Los Angeles to pursue a music career

Now, Davis is working on an album and living an authentic life

Noah Davis didn't know that a simple word would change his life.

During season 16 of AmericanIdol,Davis, 25, immediately caught the attention of judge Katy Perry after blurting out a popular pop-culture phrase before his audition — "Wig."

Perry responded, "Wig? Did you just say wig?"

When Davis nodded in confirmation, Perry chimed in, "I know, wig. I feel that already," much to the confusion of other judges Lionel Ritchie and Luke Bryan. With one word, a viral moment was born.

"I don't remember saying that because those days are so long. It takes forever, and you're so tired," Davis tells PEOPLE. "I came out of the audition, and all I knew was I made it through. I saw the video for the first time before it aired, and I thought, 'Oh, my God, that's so funny.' "

Davis made it through to Hollywood but was eliminated from the competition after they whittled it down from 50 to 24 contestants.

"I'm very different. I don't think I was a fully-realized Noah Davis. I was 18 and had just come from nowhere in Arkansas. I had never done anything like that, and I hadn't realized my full potential," Davis shares.