‘American Idol’ Winner Iam Tongi Announces Tour Dates: ‘I’ll Be Seeing You On The Road’
The ‘American Idol’ champ is hitting the road.
Iam Tongi; Photo by ABC/Eric McCandless
American Idol winner Iam Tongi is set to embark on his first-ever tour, bringing his incredible vocals to stages nationwide.
The Idol champ announced the news with his followers via Twitter, alongside a graphic that included all shows of the 10-date run.
“I’ll be seeing you on the road this summer,” Tongi shared.
The tour kicks off on Friday, June 23 with an appearance at the first-ever BEACH IT! Festival in Virginia Beach, Virginia. According to the official festival website, Tongi will perform on the main stage alongside Lily Rose, Kip Moore, Riley Green, and Miranda Lambert.
Tongi will also return home to Hawaii for Ohana Day on July 1.
Additionally, the American Idol winner will make his debut at the iconic Troubadour in West Hollywood, CA with back-to-back shows on July 24 and 25th.
The remainder of the tour includes appearances at several fairs and festivals.
Tongi’s tour news comes as he released a brand-new behind-the-scenes video, offering fans an inside look at the making of his debut single, “I’ll Be Seeing You.”
In the clip, the recent high school graduate can be seen belting out the lyrics of the heartfelt track in the studio alongside the production team.
“Here’s a behind-the-scenes look as I recorded ‘I’ll Be Seeing You,’ Tongi shared with fans on Wednesday (June 21).
Watch
Solely penned by Season 18 Idol alum Francisco Martin, “I’ll Be Seeing You” serves as a tribute to a loved one who passed away. For Tongi, that person is his father, who died just months before he auditioned for American Idol.
The lyrics find Tongi confessing that he’ll never forget “all your wits” and “all of the laughs.” While he admits he’s “lonely,” he has “no fear” because he finds comfort in the fact that he’ll see him again one day.
“’Cause I’ll be seeing you / Seeing you / Wherever I go / And I’ll be / Be with you / Be with you / Wherever I’ll go,” Tongi sings on the chorus.
A Beacon Of Hope
The song is a beacon of hope for anyone who’s lost a loved one.
“Gone but your love/ Is all I have left/ I’ll stand tall/ You’ll stay in my arms/ Won’t stay in the dark/ ‘Cause you’ll look for me,” he sings.
The tune, which was released on May 19 ahead of the American Idol finale, was produced by Oak for the Orphanage, Feenom & Roland Kiss.
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Meaning Of The Song
Ahead of the tune’s release, Iam Tongi shared a clip describing what the song means to him.
“The meaning of this song to me is when you lose someone you love, everything that you used to do with them reminds you of them,” Tongi explained. ”My dad had kidney failure and he used to go to dialysis. Every single time we pass to a dialysis place. Oh look, it’s dad. I just want people to understand where I’m coming from and to hopefully love the music.”
Tongi recorded “I’ll Be Seeing You” at The Sound Factory with producer Oak Felder, an experience that he called “very special” and “awesome.”
“Oak Felder is such a cool guy. He’s so humble and he’s so chill,” Tongi continued. ”He was fun working with him.”
Iam Tongi has been on a remarkable journey since fans fell in love with his voice during Season 21 of the prestigious singing competition.
During his time on the show, Tongi performed songs such as “I Can’t Make You Love Me” by Bonnie Raitt, “The Sound of Silence” by Simon & Garfunkel, “Don’t Let Go” by Spawnbreezie, “The Winner Takes It All” by ABBA, “Stuck On You” by Lionel Richie, “Bring It On Home To Me” by Sam Cooke, “What a Wonderful World” by Louis Armstrong, and more.
Viewers were captivated by his unique voice and emotional life story. With the support of millions, Iam Tongi was crowned the winner of American Idol Season 21.
In a recent interview with Country Now, Tongi reflected on his big win. He admitted that the news didn’t sink in until after the finale.
“It kind of hit me a little bit when I landed at the airport over here in Seattle because a lot of my mom’s coworkers in Delta, they were waiting outside. And they came with signs, and I was like, oh shoot. I was like, this might be for reals, you know what I mean? Finally, it kinda like hit me a little bit.”
Lauren Jo Black is a longtime country music journalist, editor, host, and media personality whose work has helped shape the conversation around country music for nearly two decades. As the current Editor-in-Chief of Country Now, she has become one of the genre’s most respected voices, interviewing hundreds of country music’s biggest stars, including Dolly Parton, Garth Brooks, Reba McEntire, Shania Twain, Randy Travis, Luke Bryan, Carrie Underwood, Blake Shelton, Luke Combs, and countless others. Over the course of her career, Black’s written work and interviews have reached billions of country music fans worldwide. A 2009 graduate of the University of Central Florida, Black began her career by founding Country Music Is Love, one of country music’s earliest independent digital publications, which she later sold to a major record label in 2015 before it was rebranded as Sounds Like Nashville. She then served as the publication’s Editor-in-Chief for more than two years. Her work has also appeared in Forbes, and she previously served as the Country Music Expert for Answers.com. Widely recognized for her expertise, Black has appeared as a featured guest on The Bobby Bones Show, BobbyCast, and Scripps News Morning Rush, providing insight on country music’s biggest moments. She has also hosted Country Now Live, a concert series featuring performances from artists including Lady A, Dierks Bentley, Riley Green, Jordan Davis, Dustin Lynch, Gabby Barrett, Brett Young, Jon Pardi, Kip Moore, Chris Young, and more. The series has welcomed thousands of fans in person while reaching millions more online. In addition, she hosted Connect With Country Now, a weekly interview series featuring conversations with rising country stars. Throughout her career, Black has earned a reputation for discovering and championing artists long before they become household names. She has covered Luke Bryan since the early days of his career, beginning when he was writing songs for other artists, including Billy Currington’s No. 1 hit “Good Directions,” before stepping into the spotlight with his debut single, “All My Friends Say” and eventually becoming one of biggest names in music. She also gave Megan Moroney her first opportunity to walk a major red carpet as Country Now’s official guest correspondent at the 2022 CMA Awards. An interview she conducted in 2018 for Forbes.com with Luke Combs that inspired his multi-week No. 1 hit, “Doin’ This.” She has also hosted stages at CMA Fest, moderated an industry panel at Country Radio Seminar, and helped lead important conversations about the evolving landscape of country music media. Beyond journalism, Black has also used her platform to support charitable causes and highlight organizations making an impact. Through Country Now Live, she has helped raise awareness and support for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, while also advocating for animal rescue through Country Now’s Pupdate series, spotlighting organizations including MuttNation Foundation, Wags & Walks, and Proverbs 12:10 Animal Rescue. Black has been recognized as one of Country Aircheck’s Women of Influence and received the 2012 Rising Star Award from the University of Central Florida. She is a longtime member of both the Country Music Association (CMA) and the Academy of Country Music (ACM). After nearly 20 years covering country music, Lauren Jo Black has spent her career telling the stories behind the artists, songs, and moments that have shaped the genre. Her first-ever book, Country Music Forever: An A-to-Z Celebration of Icons, Songs and Stories, brings that same passion and firsthand knowledge to the page, celebrating not only the legendary artists and timeless songs that have become the soundtrack to generations of fans, but also the places, traditions, and cultural moments that have made country music one of the most beloved genres around the world.
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