The "American Idol" season 21 finale formally hailed Iam Tongi as its winner.
On Sunday, "American Idol" season 21 aired its final episode, where it picked the best out of its Top 3 contestants - Tongi, Colin Stough, and Megan Danielle. The 18-year-old was declared the winner after he performed his original song, "I'll Be Seeing You."
Meanwhile, his competitors Danielle and Stough won second and third, respectively.
After Tongi's win, here's everything viewers and fans should know about the newest American Idol: who is "American Idol" season 21 winner Iam Tongi?
Iam Tongi Auditioned Using Song About His Father
Before reaching the final episode, Tongi notably moved the judges after he auditioned using the song, "Monsters," and dedicated it to his late father, who died months before his audition.
Katy Perry and Luke Bryan both comforted him with his words, saying they wanted to see him have fun in the show while assuring that he just made his father proud.
His audition song also hit the top spot of the iTunes charts after his appearance, per The Kent Reporter.
Prior to the finale, the 38-year-old "Last Friday Night" hitmaker seemingly predicted that Tongi would shine the brightest in the end.
"The sound in the room when Iam comes on is undeniable. He's an undeniable character. He's just kind of got this incredible magic. You almost can't explain it," she said. "It's an it factor. It's like you're born to do this, and it's undeniable."
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Iam Tongi's "American idol Performances"
Aside from his "Monsters" audition piece, Tongi continuously scored people's attention with his performances until the finale.
Throughout his "American Idol" experience, the young singer also performed "I Can't Make You Love Me" during Hollywood Week, "The Winner Takes It All" during the top 20 selection, "Bring It On Home To Me" at the top 10, "What a Wonderful World" at top 8, and "Father and Son" during the top 5.
His Audition Is the Most-Viewed Video of 2023 Season
As of press time, Tongi's audition video reached 16 million views, the highest among the other audition clips.
Iam Tongi Auditioned Before
It was not the first time he auditioned for the show, though. While he did not mention when exactly he tried his luck, Tongi revealed that it happened before his father died.
At that time, he did not make it through the next round, but his late father left him advice that he should work on his music.
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