McKenna Faith Breinholt (born August 19, 1998)[1][2][3] was a contestant on Season 22 of American Idol.
Audition[]
McKenna auditioned in Nashville. She sang "There Was Jesus" by Zach Williams & Dolly Parton, and "Tumbleweed" by Nowhere Man and a Whiskey Girl. All three judges voted "yes", sending her to the next round.
Hollywood Round[]
McKenna was shown at Idol Arena, singing "When We Were Young" by Adele. She was subsequently placed in a group at the end, alongside Max Dasher and Jack Blocker, where the judges told both groups that they had advanced. For her final solo performance, she sang "Anyone" by Demi Lovato. At the Final Judgment, she was called up alongside Mia Matthews. Afterwards, the judges told them that they each did enough to become a Top 24 semifinalist.
Top 24 (Hawaii Round)[]
McKenna was mentored by Tori Kelly in Group 1. She sang "The Story" by Brandi Carlile. She received enough votes to be considered "safe" for another week.
Top 20[]
McKenna sang "Both Sides, Now" by Joni Mitchell. She received enough votes to place amongst the Top 10 in the results, making her a Top 14 finalist. In celebration, she sang a reprise of "Tumbleweed" by Nowhere Man and a Whiskey Girl.
Top 14[]
McKenna sang "Hard to Say I'm Sorry" by Chicago. She received enough votes to be considered "safe".
Top 12[]
McKenna sang "cardigan" by Taylor Swift. She received enough votes to be considered "safe".
Top 10[]
McKenna sang "Iris" by Goo Goo Dolls. She received enough votes to be considered "safe".
Top 8[]
McKenna sang "Everywhere I Go" by Lissie, as chosen by Katy Perry. She also sang Perry's "Wide Awake" in a quartet, along with Abi Carter, Julia Gagnon, and Kaibrienne. When the results were revealed, McKenna, alongside Kaibrienne, received the lowest number of votes. However, since Katy won the Judges' Song Contest, she chose to save McKenna from elimination.
Top 7[]
McKenna sang "E.T." by Katy Perry (ft. Kanye West); and "(To) Make You Feel My Love" by Bob Dylan/Adele. She, alongside Julia Gagnon, received the lowest number of votes, thus eliminating her from the competition.
List of Performances[]
| Stage | Song | Artist | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Audition | "There Was Jesus" | Zach Williams & Dolly Parton | Advanced |
| "Tumbleweed" | Nowhere Man and a Whiskey Girl | ||
| Hollywood: Idol Arena | "When We Were Young" | Adele | Advanced |
| Showstopper Round | "Anyone" | Demi Lovato | Top 24 |
| Top 24 (Hawaii) | "The Story" | Brandi Carlile | Safe |
| Top 20 | "Both Sides, Now" | Joni Mitchell | Top 14 |
| "Tumbleweed" | Nowhere Man and a Whiskey Girl | Victory Song | |
| Top 14 | "Hard to Say I'm Sorry" | Chicago | Safe |
| Top 12 | "cardigan" | Taylor Swift | Safe |
| Top 10 | "Iris" | Goo Goo Dolls | Safe |
| Top 8 | "Everywhere I Go" | Lissie | Saved |
| "Wide Awake" (w/ Kaibrienne, Abi Carter, & Julia Gagnon) |
Katy Perry | ||
| Top 7 | "E.T." | Katy Perry (ft. Kanye West) | Eliminated |
| "(To) Make You Feel My Love" | Bob Dylan/Adele |
Trivia[]
- McKenna was adopted at birth. When she reached adulthood, she wanted to know about her birth family—and was informed that her late mother, Amy Ross-Lopez, was a musician herself. She planned on meeting her birth family in person three weeks following her audition, but her adopted family surprised her at the audition with her birth family.
- McKenna sang her mom's song, "Tumbleweed", as her second audition song. Her mom was the latter moniker of the artist duo, Nowhere Man and a Whiskey Girl.[4]
- McKenna appeared on the eleventh season of America's Got Talent, as part of the band Cinematic Pop. Although they got four "yes" verdicts at their audition, they chose to withdraw before the Judge Cuts for various reasons.[5]
- Due to feeling "under the weather", McKenna could not convene with mentor Gene Simmons prior to the Top 14 telecast. However, he gave feedback after her live performance. Additionally, she had to meet up with Meghan Trainor via teleconferencing the following session, while still recuperating.
Quick Links[]
- McKenna Faith Breinholt on Spotify
- McKenna Faith Breinholt on Facebook
- McKenna Faith Breinholt on Instagram
References[]
- ↑ https://www.instagram.com/p/CwItxu0vAOu/
- ↑ https://www.instagram.com/p/CwJjOm2rFIM/?img_index=1
- ↑ https://www.instagram.com/p/CwI8ZMSyGP_/?img_index=1
- ↑ https://www.myheraldreview.com/news/nowhere-man-and-a-whiskey-girl-a-tragic-tale-of-devotion/article_6580f0e2-6d1b-11ee-9ac4-e36261587bce.html
- ↑ https://www.cinematicpop.com/mckenna-breinholt