The exciting presentation of a teenager on American Idol after the death of his father – La Tercera

He lost his father Rodney Tongi only a few months ago, but he says he can still hear him harmonizing with him when he sings. This is how the story of the musician Iam Tongi could be summed up, who in just over a month accumulates almost fourteen million views in his presentation on the talent show American Idol.

Musician Tongi’s performance was one of the most emotional and tear-jerking performances in the show’s history. The barely 18-year-old performed James Blunt’s song “Monsters” with a passion and strength that left the jury breathless.

Accompanied only by an acoustic guitar, the boy managed to connect with the audience, conveying a vulnerability and sincerity that left no doubt that he was giving his all in his performance.

Part of the letter says:

I am not your son, you are not my father

we’re just two grown men saying goodbye.

Despite the fact that his own emotion made him lose his composure at times, Tongi managed to pay tribute to the memory of his deceased father, while his voice trembled with emotion and his body swayed to the rhythm of the song.

As soon as her voice cracked, the jury quickly glazed over at the honesty of her interpretation. Lionel Richie, Katy Perry and Luke Bryan fought back tears and rose from their seats to applaud as soon as Tongi finished singing.

Luke Bryan couldn’t hold back his tears, confessing that the song brought him to tears, while Lionel Richie praised the sensitivity of Tongi’s performance and the depth of his connection to the song.

“I feel like you could have written this song,” Katy Perry commented. “I mean, you sang it, you performed it, and you’re making these grown men cry. You touched a nerve and that’s what great artists do.”

“It’s amazing what you just did,” singer Luke Bryan, who adopted a nephew who also lost his father, told her. “I mean, you’re 18, dammit…”

“Let me tell you something,” interrupted the experienced Lionel Richie. “History is one thing. But the interpretation of your story was phenomenal.”

The presentation quickly became a viral that today accumulates 11.7 million views. Among the comments, several highlighted that the young musician had managed to touch his hearts with the performance.

Iam Tongi is a singer-songwriter originally from Kahuku, Hawaii who became known for his impressive audition on season 21 of American Idol in February 2023, where he performed James Blunt’s “Monsters,” moving the judges to tears.

During the presentation, a clip was shown of him and his father singing together, who passed away a few months earlier and who always told him that singing was his true calling.

Tongi is the youngest of five children and began his music career in the fifth grade by learning to play the ukulele. He debuted in 2020 with his single “Dreams.” Currently, he is a senior at Decatur High School in Washington.