The next season of American Idol is shaping up to be an emotional rollercoaster, packed with moments that are sure to tug at our heartstrings as much as they showcase the incredible lineup of talent— and Idol is giving fans a little sneak peek of the season before it officially drops.
McKenna Breindholt’s Idol Audition
In an exciting preview of the upcoming season that already has people talking, viewers get a peek at McKenna Breinholt’s Idol audition. In the clip, McKenna, a 25-year-old from Arizona, wows judges Luke Bryan, Katy Perry, and Lionel Richie with her amazing performance of Zach Williams and Dolly Parton’s duet “There Was Jesus,” while playing the piano.
But things take a surprising turn when McKenna tells the American Idol panel that she’s adopted and has only recently begun reconnecting with her birth family over the summer. To her amazement, she discovered that everyone in her birth family are actually singers as well when getting to know them.
McKenna admits she’s never met her birth family in person, only connecting with them through FaceTime calls. But, what she doesn’t expect is that both her birth and adopted families are outside the audition room, ready to make a surprise appearance together to show their support for McKenna.
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Zach Williams and Dolly Parton React To McKenna’s Audition
Following the viral spread of the emotional clip, Zach Williams himself came across the video and brought it to Dolly Parton’s attention. The duo then filmed a reaction video to the audition, with Zach Williams sharing it on his social media platforms.
“The other day I was working with @dollyparton and we watched @mckennafaithbreinholt ’s audition performance of our song “There Was Jesus” on American Idol. Dolly saw it for the first time so we filmed this reaction,” Zach captioned the video.
As they start to watch the clip, Zach and Dolly are immediately in awe with the approach that McKenna brings to their 2019 duet.
“I love when people do our songs differently,” Dolly tells Zach as they continue to watch the heartfelt moment when McKenna met her birth family.
“I think Jesus was there bringing that all together,” Dolly says.
As the season gears up for its premiere, McKenna Breinholt’s story has already captivated fans, leaving them eager to see what other incredible talent and heartfelt stories will happen.
Watch Zach Williams and Dolly Parton’s full reaction to McKenna Breinholt’s emotional Idol audition below.