'American Idol' Season 21 winner Im Tongi: 5 things to know

Meet Your Newest American Idol! i am tongi Season 21 of the ABC singing competition has been crowned as the winner.

The 18-year-old Hawaii native went up against fellow competitors megan daniels And colin stuff during the finale on Sunday, May 21. She enthralled the audience with her performance of her original song, “I’ll Be Seeing You”. The ballad – which she wrote about her late father, Rodney – earned a standing ovation from the judges katy perry, Lionel Richie and a tearful luke bryan,

The emotional song was one of Tongi’s memorable performances all night, as the high school student even covered guest patrons keith urbanK’s “Making Memories of Us” as well as paid tribute to their home state with the tune “Cool Down”. Kolohe Kai,

Tongue American Idol The tour came to an end during the finale, as he accompanied the artist to the stage James Blunt to duet their audition song, “Monsters,” after which the young singer shared a tearful embrace with the 49-year-old Grammy nominee.

Viewers were introduced to Tongi on a February episode of the singing competition. After being “priced out of paradise” in Hawaii, he moved to Seattle with his mother, Lily. During his audition, he credits his father as the person who got him into music, revealing that he had died a few months earlier.

Richie, 73, told Tongi at the time, “I can tell he means a lot to you.”

The judges were struck by the contestant’s rendition of “Monsters”, which Blunt wrote when her own father was diagnosed with chronic kidney disease.

“I wasn’t worried about whether you were going to make it through the song,” Richie told the teen after the performance. “I was worried about whether we were going to make it through the song. Your father is very proud.

Perry, 38, noted that Tongi sounded like she wrote the song herself. “You hit a nerve,” she said. “That’s what great storytellers do. That’s what great actors do and you have a wonderful voice.”

The story of Tongi’s defeat hit close to home for the 46-year-old Brian. “My nephew lost his dad and he came and lived with me, and it just sucks to see you miss your dad,” the country star said at the time. “You have a great voice. You just did everything right and I love you and I just want you to have fun with this whole thing, man.

Perry predicted Tongi’s Season 21 win during the show’s May 14 “Disney Night” episode. “I believe it’s written in the stars,” the “Fireworks” singer said after the musician performed “Father and Son” cat stevens From Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, “I don’t believe in coincidences. I know you’re me, but when I see your name, I think, ‘I’m the next American Idol.’

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