Entertainment
Who Is Iam Tongi? All About The ‘American Idol’ Contestant
The American Idol television show kicked off its 21st season last month, and the contestants are already competing for the chance to become pop stars. Ever since the premiere of the new season, judges have come across numerous talents who ages as young as 15 years old.
In a recent audition, one of the contestants made the judges weep eyes with his deep-meaning lyrics that harmonized a touching song tributing his father, who motivated him to pursue music. The artist is none other than Iam Tongi. Iam Tongi was only 18 years old when he played the heart-touching song about his father.
Iam has been practicing the specific song to pay respect to his father, Rodney, who passed away a couple of months earlier. Ever since Iam Tongi has made the judges weep with his song. Music lovers have been deeply attached to the lyrics of the song and even some have mastered it using different tones.
Who Is Iam Tongi?
Iam Tongi is an 18-year-old kid who hails from Kahuku, Hawaii. Tongi spent his early childhood on the beaches of Hawaii. However, he moved along with his parents to Seattle around three years ago in 2019. When he was asked why he had moved out of Hawaii by judges, he unhesitantly replied that he was “Priced out of Paradise”.
He continued that his mother had a long line of siblings, so he was forced to move out of his hometown. Currently, Iam Tongi is attending Decatur High School located in Washington. He is studying in his senior year of high school this year.
The official page of Decatur High School reported the post of Federal Way Public Schools. The post congratulated the FPWS scholar for awing the judges at the American Idol audition as well as earning a spot in Hollywood. Decatur High School wrote that “Proud of this amazing Gator! Yitadee.” Ever since his brilliant performance tributing to his father, he has become an internet sensation.
His social media accounts witnessed a rapid boost in followers. Iam Tongi’s Instagram page which goes by the name “wtongi” now stands with 216,000 followers, while his Tik Tok followers have reached 336,000, where his videos have been stocked up with more than 1 million likes. His eye-catching performance moved the judges and has over 11 million views on YouTube.
Must Read: Who Is Fire Wilmore? All About American Idol Season 21 Contestant
Iam Tongi And His Mesmerizing Performance
The heat-touching song that has been rounding the Instagram reels and Tik Tok is the strongest performance he has delivered so far in the audition. The song he sang was “Monsters” by James Blunt, which is entirely dedicated to his father. The song itself aligns with the emotion he holds for his lost father.
His voice mesmerized the judges Katy Perry, Luke Bryan, and Lionel Ritchie, as well as his emotions, flowed through the tunes of his guitar. Katy Perry was appreciated for the taste in music he chose to sing, while Luke Bryan was seen struggling to breathe when he praised his voice. His performance floored the judges. They had to give the advancement to Hollywood due to the brilliant performance.
Iam Tongi also performed amazing songs in the past rounds. He has true motivation fueled up through this entire audition. He revealed that he started pursuing music because of his dad, who had gone too soon. He is performing his heart out for his father as a manner of giving back even though he is not there to see it.
The dedication that motivates him to continue going after each performance cannot be hindered by the slightest object or situation. Iam Tongi is continuing to dedicate his entire season to his father. As of now, he is heading to contests in the Top 24, which is highly competitive. Similar to his talent, many performers are focus-driven in winning the season just like Iam Tongi.
