'American Idol' Top 8 star McKenna Faith Breinholt honors late mom: 'She's cheering me on'

McKenna Faith Breinholt of Gilbert has sung her way into the final eight on "American Idol," where Lionel Richie responded to her cover of the Goo Goo Dolls' "Iris" by proclaiming her the "Queen of Smoky Voice" on Sunday, April 28's episode.

The morning after that performance, Breinholt was reminded that he called her that.

"He did," she said, apologizing for her voice, which was sounding even raspier than usual at 8 a.m.

"And that's what you're hearing right now. To a fault," she said.

It's just what happens when she wakes up after singing, Breinholt said, assuring The Republic that she'll be fine when the Top 8 contestants go live on Monday, April 29.

McKenna to dedicate next 'Idol' performance to her birth mom

She plans to dedicate the song she will sing on Monday's show to her birth mother, Amy Ross Lopez, a singer from Bisbee, Arizona, who was half of the folk duo Nowhere Man and A Whiskey Girl. Ross Lopez died in October 2013 of complications from lupus.

Breinholt was adopted as a baby before her mother's death. It was a closed adoption, which meant she couldn't find out any information on her birth mother until after her 21st birthday.

The story of Breinholt discovering her birth mother had been a singer was a deeply moving highlight of her audition, where the 25-year-old singer played piano while delivering a heartfelt rendition of "There Was Jesus," a duet by Christian artist Zach Williams and country music icon Dolly Parton.

After telling the "American Idol" judges she'd made plans to meet her birth family in person for the first time three weeks after the audition, Breinholt was surprised to find that her adoptive parents had flown in several members of that birth family to be there for her.

McKenna covered A Whiskey Girl's 'Tumbleweed' twice on 'Idol'

Katy Perry asked if she knew any of her birth mom's songs, and Breinholt sat at the piano to sing "Tumbleweed" as her grandmother broke down in tears while quietly singing along.

When Perry asked if it sounded the same, her grandmother responded, "Oh, it's like a ghost."

Brienholt revisited the song on April 15 after learning she was advancing to the Top 14.

"I just kind of wanted to honor her that way," she said.

'Tumbleweed' connects McKenna to Amy Ross Lopez

What drew her to "Tumbleweed" is that it was the first song she discovered when she started exploring her mother's songs.

"And that's how I connect with her," she said, "it's about leaving your past behind and moving forward on your plans that you've had for yourself, not looking back."

She's hoping to record her version of the song when this season of "American Idol" is over, regardless of who wins.

"A huge goal of mine, right when I'm done, is to get in the studio with my birth uncle and start rewriting a lot of her songs," she said. "Maybe that's the way that I would do that, put my own spin on them."

'American Idol' felt 'super surreal.' But now it's on

Breinholt has been loving her "Idol" experience.

"Honestly, I feel like this whole thing has been super surreal," she said. "But now that I'm in the Top 8, it's getting real. Like, it feels like I'm on 'American Idol' now. It feels like there's competition. And it's intense a little bit."

She chose "Iris," the song that put her in the Top 8, in part because she's loved it since she was little (yes, it is that old) and in part because of how she ties the lyrics into her own story.

"I just feel like everyone wants to show the world who they really are," she said.

"And we're all scared to be our true selves. I feel like that's what that song was about, for me, just getting myself out there and showing who I really am through the imperfections and the flaws and hoping that the world still loves me, even though I'm putting it all on the line."

Best part of her 'Idol' journey? The friends she's made

The best part of the "Idol" journey, Breinholt said, has been the friends she's made.

"I will keep these friendships for the rest of my life," she said.

It can get weird when the topic of wanting to win comes up.

"But for the most part, everyone is so supportive, and we cheer each other on. I think if any of us were to go home at this point, we would be happy and proud. And we'd want to come back to the shows to keep cheering each other on."

'American Idol' has made McKenna push herself to grow

She's grown a lot since her audition.

"When I first started performing on the show, I was super timid," she said. "I only wanted to stay behind the piano. I didn't really push myself vocally. Every performance, I've pretty much stretched my range and sung higher and higher. I even got out from behind the piano and moved around the stage a little bit."

No matter who wins, Breinholt plans to keep pursuing her career when this season is over.

"I want to get more music out and just get a fan base," she said. "I already have a mini fan base on Spotify. To grow that would be awesome. And to start touring."

'It has felt like my birth mom is figuring out a way to be on stage'

Breinholt said she feels her birth mom has been watching over her these past few shows.

"Honestly, the last three songs, not to be cheesy, but it has felt like my birth mom is figuring out a way to be on stage," she said.

"That sounds so weird. But last night, before my song, I had a huge piece of confetti spin down from the ceiling, just one piece, and land right at the front of the piano, right before I started singing. And before my last performance, I had a breakdown in the bathroom just because I felt so strongly that she's cheering me on. That's probably the coolest thing that's happened on the show so far."

Where and how to watch 'American Idol' tonight

“American Idol” is on at 5 p.m. PT on Monday, April 29, on ABC.

You can watch “American Idol” Season 22 on ABC 15 in Arizona at 5 p.m. You can also stream the new episode with a subscription to FuboTV or Hulu the next day, starting at 3 a.m. on Tuesday, April 30.

Past episodes are available on Hulu if you want to catch up. A subscription to Hulu costs $7.99 a month for the ad-supported plan. Students can get Hulu with ads for $1.99 a month, and Hulu with no ads costs $17.99 a month.

‘American Idol' Season 22: Who made it to the Top 8?

Reach the reporter at ed.masley@arizonarepublic.com or 602-444-4495. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter: @EdMasley.

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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: 'American Idol' Top 8: McKenna Breinholt says late mom is 'cheering'