Tongi, who became the first Pacific Islander to win the long-running competition series in 2023, has recorded versions of some of the island hits he grew up listening to in Kahuku, Hawaii, on the island of Oahu. This includes a cover of Kolohe Kai’s “Cool Down” and a rendition of Spawnbreezie’s “Dont Let Go” (which he performed on Idol).
“I chose ‘Cool Down’ because we all need to take time to relax with all our family and friends and ‘Don’t Let Go’ because I would love the fans to continue to hold on for the ride,” Tongi said in a statement.
Tongi first auditioned for American Idol in Season 20 but failed to get past the initial screening. His mother then signed him up for Season 21 auditions without telling him, and even though he was reluctant to try again after the previous rejection, Tongi gave it another shot.
During his second audition, Tongi, 18 years old at the time, made it through the screening and was able to appear in front of judges Lionel Richie, Katy Perry, and Luke Bryan. He brought the judges to tears with an emotional performance of James Blunt’s “Monsters,” dedicated to his father, who had passed away only a few months prior.
He later performed “Monsters” again in a duet with Blunt on the Season 21 finale, where he went on to defeat Megan Danielle and Colin Stough to be crowned champion. Tongi later released his debut single, “I’ll Be Seeing Your,” which landed at #1 on Billboard’s Rock Digital Songs Sales chart.
Following his season finale, Tongi addressed those who criticized his win, specifically those who claimed Danielle and Stough were “robbed.”
“My dad always told me that your music’s not meant for everyone. There’s going to be people that are not going to like it and that’s OK, that’s normal,” he told the Daily Mail. “Everyone gets their own opinion. Everyone gets to think what they think. So, it’s fine.”
On Sunday (May 19), Abi Carter was announced as the latest American Idol champion, defeating Will Moseley and Jack Blocker.
