Current:Home > InvestAmerican Idol Singer Iam Tongi Reacts to "Crazy" Season 21 Win-InfoLens
American Idol Singer Iam Tongi Reacts to "Crazy" Season 21 Win
View Date:2024-12-23 16:43:41
A new American Idol has been crowned.
After Iam Tongi was declared the winner of season 21, the singer expressed his excitement over securing the title.
"It's crazy," he exclusively told E! News after his victory (see more of his interview on tonight's episode of E! News). "It feels so weird to talk about, to say it out loud, but it's crazy.
Iam entered the finale alongside Megan Danielle, who came in second, and Colin Stough, who finished third. During the episode, the contestant from Kahuku, Hawaii, sang a variety of hits, including Keith Urban's "Making Memories of Us," Kolohe Kai's "Cool Down," and an emotional duet of "Monsters" with James Blunt in which Iam paid tribute to his late father Rodney.
"He grabbed my arm, that made me cry even more," the 18-year-old noted about James. "No, I love James Blunt. I'm so glad he came out and sang. His voice is so insane. It sounds like heartbreak when he sings, you know what I mean? And that's what I love about his voice, and he's such a nice guy. So for him to come out and sing with me is amazing."
Iam also performed his own single "I'll Be Seeing You" in honor of his dad. And after host Ryan Seacrest revealed the results, the high school student sang Spawnbreezie's "Don't Let Go" as confetti fell and his fellow contestants joined him on the stage to celebrate.
As for how Iam planned to celebrate after the show? "Go out and hang out with my family," he said. "That's all I want to do."
Win or lose, judges Katy Perry, Lionel Richie and Luke Bryan are proud of all the finalists.
"It's been emotional like a good therapy session," the "Roar" artist told E!. "Just to see these kids, young people—younger than me—just grow and get what they came for. Even if they didn't win, they got what they came for. There's something that was sparked in them that can never be put back or be not believed in."
And Lionel offered Iam some advice on this new chapter.
"He's gonna be on a journey now. He's gotta rock it," the "Stuck on You" star added. "Remember now, winning no. 1 is one thing. Maintaining no. 1 is called the hard work. He's got a great family support. The village raised him. So, he's got the support. Right now, he needs to think how do I get, first of all, across America and then around the world one song at a time?"
For now, Iam is enjoying his win and expressing his gratitude to everyone who voted for him.
"Thank you everyone for voting!" he wrote on Instagram. "Love all you guys! Thank you so much, yessah blessa never stressa! #idol #idolwinner."
For the latest breaking news updates, click here to download the E! News AppveryGood! (84883)
Related
- Inspector general finds no fault in Park Police shooting of Virginia man in 2017
- More than 1,000 trafficking victims rescued in separate operations in Southeast Asia
- FTC sues to block the $69 billion Microsoft-Activision Blizzard merger
- Why Gaten Matarazzo Has a Deep Fear Ahead of Stranger Things' Final Season
- Powell says Fed will likely cut rates cautiously given persistent inflation pressures
- Why Demi Lovato's Sister Madison De La Garza Decided to Get Sober
- Facebook parent company Meta sheds 11,000 jobs in latest sign of tech slowdown
- Elon Musk says Ye is suspended from Twitter
- Mike Tyson impresses crowd during workout ahead of Jake Paul fight
- Chaos reigns at Twitter as Musk manages 'by whims'
Ranking
- GM recalling big pickups and SUVs because the rear wheels can lock up, increasing risk of a crash
- Serbia gun amnesty spurred by mass shootings sees 3,000 weapons and parts handed over in just 2 days
- Jason Ritter Reveals Which of His Roles Would Be His Dad's Favorite
- Vanderpump Rules' Raquel Leviss Will Attend Season 10 Reunion Amid Tom Sandoval Scandal
- Olympic Skier Lindsey Vonn Coming Out of Retirement at 40
- How Twitter's platform helped its users, personally and professionally
- Rob Dyrdek Applauds “Brave” Wife Bryiana Dyrdek for Sharing Her Autism Diagnosis
- Sensing an imminent breakdown, communities mourn a bygone Twitter
Recommendation
-
American arrested in death of another American at luxury hotel in Ireland
-
Chaos reigns at Twitter as Musk manages 'by whims'
-
Elon Musk suggests his SpaceX company will keep funding satellites in Ukraine
-
Facebook's parent is fined nearly $25M for violating a campaign finance disclosure law
-
At age 44, Rich Hill's baseball odyssey continues - now with Team USA
-
The new normal of election disinformation
-
Transcript: Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas on Face the Nation, May 7, 2023
-
The Game Awards 2022: The full list of winners