Iam Tongi reigned victorious in May when he was named the Season 21 champion of American Idol.
Along with his raw talent and soothing and powerful voice, the Hawaiian-born teenager and first Pacific Islander to ever win the show stole hearts everywhere with his personal story of being “priced out of paradise” after losing his father, Rodney, who passed away from kidney failure just months before he set foot in front of judges, Katy Perry, Luke Bryan, and Lionel Richie.
Paid Tribute To His Late Father Throughout American Idol
On the popular reality TV competition series, Iam Tongi made it a point to honor his late father, first auditioning with an unforgettable rendition of James Blunt’s “Monsters.” During his introduction to America, Tongi revealed that his dad was the person who supported his budding talent and helped teach him how to continue playing music and singing.
“All my life my dad told me that singing is the only thing that’s meant for me,” Tongi shared during his audition for the show. “The main reason why I did music is because of my dad. That’s how me and my dad bonded. But, ever since he passed away, it’s been hard. People think I cry because I miss him, but it’s because I hear him singing. I can hear his harmony, I can hear how he would harmonize with me in that song… I know he’s with me. Through my music, he’ll always be with me.”
But putting his vulnerability out there in front of viewers isn’t something Iam Tongi had initially intended to do.
Wanted To Quit Music After His Dad’s Passing, But Mom Saved His Music Career
In fact, after losing his dad, Tongi, who was born and raised in Kahuku on the island of Oahu and later moved to Washington state in 2020, since the passing of his father, withdrew from music due to the pain of remembering Rodney whenever he picked up an instrument to sing.
Furthermore, America may have never been introduced to Tongi had it not been for his mother, Lillie, who signed him up for the show. Tongi ended up learning of his mother’s decision to sign him up for the show just days before his audition.
According to American Songwriter, Lillie told American Idol that Tongi “didn’t want to sing anymore because [he] kept hearing [his] dad back [him] up.”
“After my dad passed away, I didn’t want to do music anymore,” Tongi told the outlet in a separate interview. “I just practiced hard because she was like, ‘Do this one for dad. It was hard for me to sing that song because the music was shown to me by my dad. My dad taught me what I know about music.”
Tongi Previously Auditioned For Idol And Didn’t Make It
This, however, isn’t the first time Tongi has auditioned for American Idol. He previously tried out for the show’s 20th season but didn’t make it. Because of his emotions and having faced rejection from the show during the season prior, Tongi admits he had a “bad attitude” and didn’t expect to advance past the audition round for Season 21. However, Tongi’s dad had always coached him to continue to hone his craft, and this time, he did just that.
Released Debut Single, Teased New Song “Why Kiki?”
Since earning the American Idol title, Tongi has gone on to release his debut single, “I’ll Be Seeing You.” He also graduated from high school and continues to look forward to releasing new music.
During his recent homecoming concert in Hawaii, as part of “Ohana Day,” Tongi gave fans a taste of his forthcoming new music with a performance of a new song titled “Why Kiki?. In addition, he also recently shared a clip of the brand-new track on his Instagram as he was in the studio recorded the tune. While no official release date for the song has been unveiled, Tongi teased that the track is “coming soon” in the caption of the Instagram video.
“Why Kiki, why you wanna do me like that, Kiki. Why you wanna make me so sad Kiki, Why you got me down on my knees…” Tongi sings on the track’s chorus.
Additionally, he recently performed the national anthem for the MLB’s 2023 All-Star Home Run Derby and is currently embarking on his first-ever headlining tour, which kicked off on June 23 at the first annual BEACH IT! Festival in Virginia Beach.
