And then there were three.
“American Idol’s” farewell season inched closer to its end Thursday night with the elimination of contestant MacKenzie Bourg, the bespectacled singer-songwriter from Lafayette, Louisiana.
That leaves La’Porsha Renae, Trent Harmon and Dalton Rapattoni in the final three.
Bourg graciously exited the show after predicting that Renae, the other contestant at risk for elimination, was safe.
“Don’t lose now. Don’t lose to those chumps,” Bourg said as the two hugged.
The episode featured songs, selected by the contestants, that represented their hometowns.
Renae dedicated her performance of the song “Glory” to her hometown of McComb, Mississippi. Judge Keith Urban described the performance as so moving that it made him feel as though he had just gone through a baptism.
Rapattoni, from the Dallas area, rocked out to “Calling You” by Blue October, the stage sprinkled with screaming girls.
Staying true to his Southern roots, Harmon — who’s from Amory, Mississippi — delivered a version of “Tennessee Whiskey,” an old George Jones tune.
Though the contestants went through an emotional experience as they visited their hometowns, it was actually host Ryan Seacrest who got choked up as he signed off at the “American Idol” studio for the last time.
You don’t have to get out the tissues just yet, though.
Next week, the audience will get three nights of “American Idol” to ease them into the farewell. The first episode, airing Tuesday, will be a look back on some of the show’s touching moments. The three finalists will then compete to be the new American Idol the following night.
The final episode will air Thursday.