“American Idol” has a new champion. During the three-hour finale on Sunday night, “Idol” named Iam Tongi the Season 21 champion. Megan Danielle, a 20-year-old vocalist from Georgia, came in second place. Here’s a look at Tongi’s tenure on the show. Iam Tongi’s “American Idol” audition was by far the most watched of the season. It was posted three months ago and has received 16 million views on YouTube. Tongi, an 18-year-old high school senior from Hawaii, sang “Monsters” by James Blunt for his audition and dedicated the performance to his father, who died a few months before the audition.
Tongi told the “Idol” judges that his father inspired him to pursue singing. He channeled his emotions into his performance, bringing judges Lionel Richie and Luke Bryan to tears. Tongi was overcome with emotion as he sang his final note, but he had already persuaded the judges that he would be a strong competitor in the “Idol” competition. According to The Kent Reporter, his interpretation of “Monsters” sent the song to the top of the iTunes rankings.
Iam Tongi spoke with producers after his “Idol” audition about how he and his father bonded over music
“You hit a nerve, and that’s what great storytellers do,” Katy Perry said. “That’s what great artists do, and your voice is just so magnificent.” “I cannot handle your heartbreaking about your dad,” Bryan added. “Just seeing you missing your dad just sucks. Gosh, man, you just got a great voice. … You just did everything perfectly, and I love you.” “You take this into the world and you’re going to fracture some souls,” Richie said.
Tongi spoke with producers after his “Idol” audition about how he and his father bonded over music and how his father had long wanted him to audition for “American Idol.” Tongi, in fact, had already auditioned for “Idol.” Tongi laughed as he recounted his father’s response when he didn’t make it on the show in an interview with The Kent Reporter. “He was like, ‘Son. I need to talk to you. You need to work on your music,’” he said. “My dad, he wasn’t a perfect dude,” he added. “He wasn’t like a saint, or whatever. But he was the best father that I know. And I want everyone to know that he’s a tough guy. He always told me the truth, (and) he always loved me. And I always loved him too.”
Tongi, a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, has discussed his faith on social media
Tongi said he hadn’t initially planned on mentioning his father during the audition — he didn’t want to turn his “Idol” audition into a sob story. But when the judges asked about his family, he couldn’t help but get emotional as he thought of his father. “People thought I cry because I miss him, but it’s ’cause I hear him singing — I can hear his harmony,” Tongi told “Idol” producers after the audition. “I know he’s with me. Through my music, he’ll always be with me.”
Throughout his tenure on “Idol,” Tongi, a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, has discussed his faith on social media. He used the phrase “the best is yet to come” from President Russell M. Nelson’s general conference speech in April. A few weeks later, he posted a video of himself and a few other “Idol” finalists in a hotel room performing the Mormon hymn “I Need Thee Every Hour.” Throughout his time on “Idol,” Tongi performed a wide range of songs — including Cat Steven’s “Father and Son,” Sam Cooke’s “Bring it On Home to Me,” and Simon and Garfunkel’s “Sound of Silence.” Most recently, Tongi released his newest single, “I’ll Be Seeing You.”