Gilbert woman McKenna Faith Breinholt advances to ‘American Idol’ final 10

PHOENIX — McKenna Faith Breinholt, a skin care professional from Gilbert, has traded in her day job to become one of the final 10 contestants remaining on this season of “American Idol.”

Breinholt and the rest of the remaining contestants will perform songs from their birth year as tutored by Shania Twain on Sunday at 5 p.m. on ABC.

The top eight from Sunday will move onto Monday, when contestants will perform songs chosen by the show’s judges, Lionel Richie, Katy Perry and Luke Bryan.

Breinholt impressed the judges with her initial audition that aired in February, where she performed “There Was Jesus” by Zach Williams and Dolly Parton after detailing an emotional backstory.

The singer learned early in her life that she was adopted and never knew anything about her birth mother. Later when she was 21 years old, Breinholt’s adopted parents explained that her birth mother was a musician as well, but that she had passed away.

After Breinholt earned positive feedback from the judges, they asked her to invite her family waiting outside the audition room in for what Perry called “the final judgement” of Breinholt’s audition.

She was met with her birth family of musicians outside, which she had never met in person, only over FaceTime.

The YouTube video of the audition and family meeting has garnered nearly 2 million views in less than three months.

In live performances over her journey to the top 10, Breinholt has also performed “Cardigan” by Taylor Swift and “Both Sides Now” by Joni Mitchell among other songs.

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