Iam Tongi has officially released “Why Kiki?” as his new single. After performing it live at Ventura Music Hall in July 2023, Tongi officially released the Hawaiin-influenced track as a single on Friday (September 22).
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He also shared a music video that brings him back to his native Hawaii. The video casts Tongi as the narrator of a young couple where the girl subtly rejects the affections of a boy who’s smitten. Set against the gorgeous backdrop of Kualoa Ranch Private Nature Reserve, Tongi can be seen singing in front of a turquoise blue ocean and stunning green mountains.
Why Kiki/Why you wanna do me like that Kiki/Why you gotta hurt me so bad Kiki/Why you got me down on my knees, he croons in the chorus as an ensemble of dancers in yellow dresses sways behind him. “So excited to finally share this project with you all!!” Tongi shared on Instagram. “Got to work with so many amazing people to make this happen!!”
“Why Kiki?” follows “I’ll Be Seeing You,” which he performed on American Idol and officially released as a single after he won the 21st season in May 2023. The song topped the Billboard Rock Digital Song Sales chart and reminds the singer of his late father.
“It’s almost like a conversation, I’m saying, ‘I’ll be seeing you wherever I go’ to my dad,” Tongi explains to American Songwriter about the meaning of “I’ll Be Seeing You.” “Wherever we drive somewhere a place that my dad loved to go eat, we were like, ‘Hey look, that’s dad’s favorite place.’ Almost like [saying], ‘I’ll be with you wherever I go.’ Now [it’s] like my dad talking back to me now that he’s gone–no matter what happens, no matter where he goes, he’s gonna be with me in my heart, in my mind and through the memories.”
Photo Credit: ABC/Eric McCandless
