Tongi first became famous when he auditioned for American Idol in February 2023. He performed a heartbreaking rendition of James Blunt’s Monsters. His performance, which he dedicated to his late father, moved the judges to tears. The three judges gave him a unanimous vote and a standing ovation. The video went viral on YouTube and has over 24 million views as of writing.
Tongi continued to be a fan-favourite throughout the season. He beat Megan Danielle and Colin Stough in May 2023, becoming the first Pacific Islander to win American Idol. Tongi walked away with the grand prize of $250,000 and a Hollywood Recordings recording contract.
Since winning the competition, Iam has been working on his music. He released his single, I’ll Be Seeing You, shortly before performing it at the finale. He has also released other songs, like Why Kiki and Efiafi. Tongi has performed across the United States, Australia and New Zealand. Furthermore, he has already announced a tour scheduled for 2024.
In addition to his music, Iam has amassed a significant social media following. He has over 21K followers on X (Twitter) and over 415K on Facebook. Additionally, he has over 306K subscribers on his YouTube channel and over 1.4 million followers on TikTok.
