When Iam Tongi was announced as the winner of "American Idol," viewers of the show were outraged.
Accusations flew that the competition had been rigged, and many believed that a different contestant should have come out on top.
At the end of a tense finale, each of the last three contestants- Megan Danielle, Colin Stough, and Iam Tongi - had their chance to sway the judges as they sang multiple songs to secure enough votes.
'American Idol' Season 21 Finale Recap
Iam took to the stage and captivated the audience with his versions of Keith Urban's heartwarming "Making Memories of Us" and the exotic-sounding "Cool Down."
The climax of his performance was an emotional rendition of James Blunt's "Don't Let Go," which left many in tears.
As the show ended, Iam graced the audience with his debut single as a tribute to his late father, "I'll Be Seeing You."
After several weeks of competition, only Megan and Iam remained.
After suspenseful anticipation, Iam has finally been crowned the new "American Idol."
The ecstatic winner was hugged by host Ryan Seacrest and runner-up Megan and his family, with tears of joy streaming down his face.
When asked what he was most excited about after this huge milestone, he replied that he would return home to Hawaii.
As Iam celebrated winning "American Idol" with family and friends, many did not share his joy.
Outraged viewers voiced their frustrations on social media.
One person posted: "American Idol is rigged. Colin Stough was the best out there - I thought it was about talent!"
Another declared in frustration: "Couldn't be me... #Awful."
Another said, "Obviously the sympathy vote fix is in," they even said, "America got it wrong."
A social media user even questioned Ryan Seacrest: "So Ryan I thought #AmericanIdol was a singing contest? Any reason why the obviously better singer did not win? Curious...just asking. Thank you."
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Emotional Katy Perry
Throughout the season finale, emotions were running high.
Judge Katy Perry was moved to tears over Iam Tongi's finale performance, openly expressing her admiration for him.
Once Iam had completed his performance, Katy began the judging with these words: "Can I say something?"
The "Dark Horse" singer said, "In between you and Megan I had to grab a little tissue and fold it into a triangle because every time you come on and you sing the vibration that comes out of your mouth, it goes through the weeds of people's hearts and it just gets to them."
Katy concluded, "It moves us so much. So when you sing, I am ready to feel, baby."
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