After auditioning for season 20 of American Idol and falling short, Iam Tongi wasn’t in a hurry to return. However, his mom signed him up for season 21, encouraging him to do it for his late father. Eventually, viewers would crown Tongi the winner, over runner-up Megan Danielle and Top 3 finalist Colin Stough. Two years later, he returned to the Idol stage in his home state of Hawaii for a soaring performance.
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Iam Tongi Pays Tribute to His Roots With Moving ‘American Idol’ Performance
With just two episodes of season 23 remaining, we will soon know which American Idol Top 5 finalist will join Iam Tongi among the winners’ ranks. Monday (May 12) marked the season’s second Disney-themed song, with the contestants performing songs centered around Disney heroes and villains.
Taking the stage in his native Hawaii, Tongi performed his own rendition of “Hawaiian Roller Coaster Ride” from the 2002 animated Disney film Lilo & Stich. The 20-year-old recorded the song for the film’s 2025 live-action remake, which hits theaters May 23.
I'm so happy for Iam #AmericanIdol
— Ashley (@mzluv4steelers) May 13, 2025
Hawaiian chanter Mark Kealiʻi Hoʻomalu penned the original song especially for the 2002 film. He recorded it with the Kamehameha Schools Children’s Chorus, who return for Tongi’s version.
After growing up watching Lilo & Stitch (same), Tongi called working on the film’s remake “a dream come true.”
“I can only hope my version of ‘Hawaiian Roller Coaster Ride’ can live on in the hearts of a new generation of kids,” he said.
[RELATED: ‘American Idol’ Makes Huge Announcement as Finale Looms]
Iam Tongi Gets Vulnerable on Social Media
Winning American Idol changed Iam Tongi’s life drastically. Suddenly he was performing for massive crowds, recording music in studios, and “living a life only few get to experience,” he wrote in a vulnerable social media post last month.
However, “I still felt a sadness and an emptiness I could not escape,” the Idol champ wrote. “I still had a lot of pain from losing my dad and that made it so hard to appreciate all the blessings God was giving me.” (Tongi’s dad, Rodney, who got him into music, tragically passed a few months before his Idol audition.)
Last year, Tongi began cultivating a daily workout routine. Improving his physical health helped him “take a step back” and “prioritize myself,” he said.
“I started writing my own songs and telling my own stories and surrounding myself with positivity and people who genuinely cared about me and my well being,” he wrote.
Featured image by Disney/Eric McCandless
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