'American Idol' Season 22 contestant McKenna Breinholt draws criticism for her 'horrible' performance

'American Idol' Season 22 contestant McKenna Breinholt received praise from the judges
UPDATED APR 29, 2024
'American Idol' Season 22 contestant McKenna Breinholt is in the Top 8 (@abc)
'American Idol' Season 22 contestant McKenna Breinholt is in the Top 8 (@abc)

SANTA MONICA, CALIFORNIA: 'American Idol' Season 22 contestant McKenna Faith Breinholt, born in 1998, chose to perform the song from her birthyear 'Iris' by Goo Goo Dolls. However, the viewers appeared to be disappointed with McKenna's rendition.

The aspiring singer opted to play the piano during her performance instead of commanding the stage with theatrics. Shania Twain complimented McKenna's rehearsals and appreciated her interpretation. However, the guest mentor also had a few suggestions for the aspiring singer.

Shania suggested McKenna keep certain aspects of the song intact rather than changing it up completely. Despite her efforts, McKenna failed to impress the viewers of the ABC show. On X, a fan wrote, "PLEASE GET RID OF MCKENNA FOR THE LOVE OF GOD!!" Another added, "I just don't get the appeal of McKenna. I could never listen to an entire CD of hers."

One critic noted, "I really like the Goo Goo Dolls. Iris is my 2nd favorite song of theirs and my mother's 1st. I was not impressed by McKenna's cover version. She's not at the level of the other women. I think it's time for her to go." Another user said, "Mckenna is horrible i will never understand the hype for her."

One fan wrote, "I didn't hate that song for mckenna but i heard several ugly notes in that first verse. it got better as it went on but mehhh." Another noted, "McKenna sounded awful... the judges are not being honest."



 



 



 



 



 



 

Luke Bryan compares McKenna Breinholt to Miley Cyrus

McKenna Breinholt received compliments from the ABC show judges despite her 'horrible' performance. Katy Perry said, "You just took me back to when I was 13 and had the same dream as you. That’s magic." Luke compared McKenna to Miley Cyrus and complimented her runs.

He added, "It was so mature and well done. It was just amazing." The ABC show judge further noted, "You are the queen of smokey voice. I love the way you navigate the hoarseness."

Luke Bryan compares McKenna Breinholt to Miley Cyrus (@abc)
Luke Bryan compares McKenna Breinholt to Miley Cyrus (@abc)

Did McKenna Breinholt advance to Top 8?

'American Idol' Season 22 contestant McKenna Breinholt surprisingly earned enough votes to advance to the next round. The aspiring singer will perform in the Judge's song contestant alongside the other Top 7 contestants. However,  McKenna needs to work hard on her performance to skip the elimination in the upcoming episode.

'American Idol' Season 22 contestant McKenna Breinholt is in Top 8 (@abc)
'American Idol' Season 22 contestant McKenna Breinholt is in the Top 8 (@abc)

'American Idol' Season 22 airs on Sundays and Mondays at 8 pm ET on ABC

RELATED TOPICS AMERICAN IDOL (2002) THE IDOL

GET THE BIGGEST ENTERTAINMENT STORIES
STRAIGHT TO YOUR INBOX.

MORE STORIES

Celeb guests include Singer Zac Brown and YouTuber MrBeast, with Jeff Probst returning as the host
20 hours ago
Season 49 of the survival reality show concluded with Savannah Louie winning the competition
1 day ago
Savannah Louie, Sophie Balerdi, and Sage Ahrens-Nichols were the final three contestants who competed for the title of 'Survivor' Season 49
1 day ago
The milestone 'Survivor' Season 50 is all set to make its debut on Wednesday, February 25, 2026
1 day ago
Aiden Ross claimed victory on 'The Voice' Season 28, marking Niall Horan’s undefeated streak as coach
2 days ago
The Top 6 who competed for the win were Aiden Ross, Jazz McKenzie, Ralph Edwards, Max Chambers, Aubrey Nicole, and DEK of Hearts
2 days ago
14-year-old Chambers entertained fans with his strong vocals after making a wild card entry into the 'The Voice' Season 28 finals
2 days ago
'The Voice' Season 29 is slated to premiere on Monday, February 23, 2026
2 days ago
While Niall Horan's team members, Aiden Ross and DEK of Hearts, shone in the finale, he was unfortunately unable to perform
3 days ago
"I wrote you last night; I told you you are the light … this is it," Michael Bublé told one of his finalists, Jazz McKenzie, after her performance
3 days ago