After moving viewers across the country with his tender-hearted rendition of James Blunt’s “Monsters,” American Idol winner Iam Tongi has teamed with the writer for a brand-new studio duet version of the track, debuting today (Friday, Aug. 25).
Auditioned For American Idol With “Monsters”
For those who didn’t follow Tongi’s incredible journey on Season 21 of American Idol, the teenager who was born and raised in Kahuku, Hawaii, on the island of Oahu, but forced out of the island due to its high cost of living, brought judges Lionel Richie, Luke Bryan, and Katy Perry to tears with his brave audition of Blunt’s “Monsters.”
He chose to sing the song for the panel as a dedication to his late father, Rodney Tongi, who had passed from stage 4 kidney disease just months before his debut on the show.
It was Tongi’s father who taught him everything he knows about music. While Tongi had previously covered “Monsters” on TikTok, getting to share his story with a broader audience is what changed everything for the talented singer and ukulele player. “Monsters” resonated with people all over, quickly growing Tongi’s fan base throughout the reality TV sing-off series and landing him in the coveted Top 3, where he beat out fellow contenders Megan Danielle and Colin Stough.
Tongi’s take on the tune also reached Blunt, who showed up during the grand finale to duet the 2019 ballad, which he wrote with Amy Wadge and Jimmy Hogarth, in the wake of his father’s kidney disease diagnosis.
Listen To Iam Tongi And James Blunt’s “Monsters” Below
Full-Circle Moment
Now Tongi and Blunt have taken the song a step further, going from the stage to the studio – a true full-circle moment for the Idol champ, who couldn’t have imagined he’d be where he is today.
“From covering it on TikTok 3 years ago to singing it in my audition on @americanidol, to performing it at the Idol finale with @jamesblunt , “Monsters” means so much to me. I’m so excited to announce that James & I will be releasing an official duet of “Monsters” on 08.25 🤙🏾,” Tongi captioned on X, formerly known as Twitter.
James Blunt Recently Recalled Performing With Iam Tongi
Along with releasing the duet, Blunt recently opened up about his particular onstage moment with Tongi during an interview with American Songwriter.
“I sang on American Idol with Iam Tongi, and actually he broke down in tears, and then you suddenly realize the desperation of that moment because poor him, his father had died. And really living that. And the poignancy in the next line is, ‘I’ll leave a light on, I’ll be the last one, and I’ll leave a light on / There’d be no darkness in your heart.’ [and] it’s a real moment where you can imagine the death of your closest relative, and it’s a really amazing moment to live it. In many ways, I think Iam and I really lived it on a stage together.”
Going back to that finale day, the English singer/ songwriter added, “I flew out to Los Angeles, and it’s a city I’ve lived in and loved. So it was great to come back and spend time there and wonderful to meet Iam. I think he’s a really, really lovely human being, and his voice is from heaven, and singing with him is a real treat.”
Iam Tongi Resonates With The Tune
Although Blunt penned the song as a goodbye to his father, Charles, an old army colonel and a helicopter pilot, unlike Tongi, things took a turn for the better for his dad. Charles is alive and well, having recovered from his illness.
“My dad was unwell with stage four chronic kidney disease, which obviously is incurable and needed a transplant. And at that stage you kind of start to see a timeframe where if he doesn’t get a new kidney, he might not be with us anymore – a time left of life. And that came just as a huge shock to me. He’s my hero in life,” Blunt said of the inspiration behind ‘Monsters.’ “… My dad will be around for a little while, and the song will not be as painful as it necessarily could be, and one day, it will mean something more to me when he’s gone. And that will be a very different moment for when I sing it live.”
Tongi’s collaboration of “Monsters” with Blunt follows his previous releases, including “Trust Me,” “The Winner Takes It All,” “Gone,” “Efiafi,” and his debut single, “I’ll Be Seeing You.”
The Idol champ is currently on the road as part of his headlining Iam Tongi Live In Concert tour, which runs through October.
