Last updated: 2 days ago
For Iam Tongi, music is about transformation – and it always has been. A Hawaiian-born singer-songwriter and the Season 21 champion of American Idol, Tongi first picked up a ukulele in the fifth grade, immersed in a deeply musical world filled with the traditional singing and dance of Pacific Island cultures.
Tongi learned to sing from his father, who in turned had learned from his father before him. By 13 Tongi had played his first show, but after moving to Seattle a few years later – and losing his father in 2021 – he nearly gave music up completely. His mother secretly signed him up for American Idol, and after Tongi’s viral audition performance of James Blunt’s “Monsters” became one of American Idol’s all time emotional highlights, he went on to win Season 21, making history as the first Pacific Islander to ever win the show.
His new music marks a creative transition leaning into his cultural heritage and musical roots – but also the man he’s become.
Tongi learned to sing from his father, who in turned had learned from his father before him. By 13 Tongi had played his first show, but after moving to Seattle a few years later – and losing his father in 2021 – he nearly gave music up completely. His mother secretly signed him up for American Idol, and after Tongi’s viral audition performance of James Blunt’s “Monsters” became one of American Idol’s all time emotional highlights, he went on to win Season 21, making history as the first Pacific Islander to ever win the show.
His new music marks a creative transition leaning into his cultural heritage and musical roots – but also the man he’s become.
Monthly Listeners
1.5 million
Monthly Listeners History
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Followers
313,916
Followers History
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Total Streams
74.8 million
Total Streams History
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Top Cities
27,402 listeners
21,718 listeners
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19,712 listeners
19,603 listeners
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