With Season 22 of American Idol here, it’s an excellent time to check in on the most recent winner. It was only about nine months ago that Iam Tongi walked away with the crown in Season 21. He battled it out in the final with Megan Danielle and Colin Stough, with his original song “I’ll Be Seeing You” helping to push him over the edge.
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As you might expect, it’s been a whirlwind of activity for Tongi ever since that win. Let’s see what he’s done since the win and what he’s up to now.
Iam Tongi Performances and Releases
Fans didn’t soon forget the impact that “I’ll Be Seeing You” made on them when they heard Tongi perform it on American Idol. The song gave Tongi his first No. 1, as it rose to the top of the US Rock Digital charts in 2023.
Tongi also enjoyed some success with a Christmas EP entitled An Iam Tongi Christmas. The native Hawaiian paid tribute to his heritage with a version of “Mele Kalikimaka.” The release also included his takes on “White Christmas” and “The Christmas Song.”
Tongi has also kept busy with live shows, both in Hawaii and in locations a bit further afield. And he’ll be continuing along in that vein in 2024, including an appearance at the Washington County Fair in Hurricane, Utah in April.
When is Iam Tongi Dropping a New Album?
To this point, there hasn’t been any word about a definitive date for a debut album coming from Tongi. While he’s been releasing the occasional cover song here and there (including a cool version of Morgan Wallen’s “Sand in My Boots” at the end of 2023,), it doesn’t appear like a full-length release will be coming anytime soon, although he did tell honolulmagazine.com that he has begun the process.
“I’m working on an album now, writing and jamming. I love making all kinds of music, like R&B, a few country songs, a couple of Island songs, reggae.”
The decision to cover Wallen certainly hints at the direction Tongi might be taking with his original music once he does record an album. Tongi might indeed be able to straddle the line between rock and country music. In an interview with People, Tongi explained his connection to the genre:
“I grew up on island music and I grew up on country music. And my dad, he’s the one that really got me into it because my dad loved country music. My dad’s favorite singer was George Strait.”
In any case, fans will be watching for what’s next from this extremely talented performer. And they’ll be watching Idol‘s auditions this season as well to see if anything can match Tongi’s unforgettable rendition of “Monsters” that first brought him to the attention of music fans everywhere.
(Photo by Emma McIntyre/Getty Images)
