On the heels of a week of career firsts and milestones including a performance on “The Kelly Clarkson Show,” his CMA Fest debut and being surprised with a plaque for 100,000,000 streams, “American Idol” Season 21 winner and Hawaii native, Iam Tongi, releases the powerful new track, “Unbreak My Heart,” today via 19 Recordings. Listen to “Unbreak My Heart” Below. And watch Tongi debut an acoustic version of the track on Monday’s “The Kelly Clarkson Show” HERE.
Written by Johnny Reid and Thomas “Tawgs” Salter and recorded in Nashville at Soultrain Sound Studios, the deeply personal ballad finds Tongi reflecting on the loss of his father and picking up the pieces. Delivering vocals tinged with pain and perseverance in a tribute to wounds that never heal, the song is a spiritual follow-up to Tongi’s tearjerking performance of James Blunt’s “Monsters” on “American Idol.” Arriving just over a week before Father’s Day the new track is once again dedicated to his late father.
Tongi says of the song, “I recorded ‘Unbreak My Heart’ in honor of my late father. The first time I heard it I was reminded of exactly how I felt the day we lost him. It speaks true to me and I hope anyone that hears it that has experienced loss knows they are not alone.”
The new music follows a flurry of activity in recent weeks for the Hawaii native, including a return to the Idol stage for the hit ABC show’s Disney Night. The Pacific Islander performed the Lilo & Stitch classic “Hawaiian Roller Coaster Ride.” Tongi’s take of the song is featured in Disney’s blockbuster live-action Lilo & Stitch film in theaters now. Watch his “American Idol” Performance of “Hawaiian Roller Coaster Ride” HERE, the official video for Tongi’s version HERE, stream on APPLE MUSIC / SPOTIFY / AMAZON.
Tongi kicked off CMA Fest week on Monday with an acoustic performance of the new track on “The Kelly Clarkson Show” followed by a surprise appearance at a special American Idols Takeover presented by 19 and BMG on Wednesday where he was presented with a plaque for achieving 100,000,000 streams. He then made his CMA Fest debut on the Dr. Pepper Amp stage on Thursday.
CMA Fest week activities, the release of “Hawaiian Roller Coaster Ride” and a return to “American Idol” follow Tongi’s release, “Sunshine” via 19 Recordings, for Asian American & Pacific Islander Heritage Month. Written by Tongi along with Tyler Cain and Johnny Reid, the song finds him basking in positivity and feel-good warmth with a fusion of country and reggae sounds offering a dose of sonic Vitamin D to match his Hawaiian home. Listen to “Sunshine” HERE.
At just 18-years old when he auditioned for Idol, the Hawaiian born singer/songwriter/multi-instrumentalist won hearts around the world and brought Lionel Richie, Katy Perry, and Luke Bryan, to tears with his emotional performance of James Blunt's "Monsters," dedicated to his father Rodney who had recently passed away - watch it HERE. The audition went on to become the most watched on the show’s YouTube with 37 million views. Tongi became the first Pacific Islander to win the series and went on to earn his first Billboard No. 1 on the Rock Digital Songs Sales Chart after releasing his debut single, "I'll Be Seeing You"
Tongi is set to make his Grand Ole Opry debut on June 11. He is currently on the road with dates across the U.S. through the summer and fall including several dates as support for Hawaiian singer-songwriter Maoli on his Last Sip of Summer Tour as well as Kolohe Kai’s What Aloha Means Tour. For the latest news including tour dates and new music visit iamtongiofficial.com and follow along @wtongi on Instagram, TikTok, X and Facebook.
Photo Credit: Catherine Powell
Upcoming Tour Dates
June 11 || Nashville, TN || Grand Ole Opry House
June 21 || Del Mar, CA || Corona Grand Stage / Toyota Concert Series
*July 17 || Los Angeles, CA || The Greek Theatre
*Aug 1 || Salt Lake City, UT || Granary Live
*Aug 2 || Denver, CO || The Ogden Theatre
*Aug 9 || Las Vegas, NV || T-Mobile Arena
Sept 1 || Puyallup, WA || Washington State Fair
^Sept 5 || Concord, CA || Toyota Pavilion at Concord
^Sept 10 || Phoenix, AZ || Arizona Financial Theatre
Sept 26 || St. John’s, NFLD || Mary Browns Centre
Oct 11 || Pontiac, MI || Flagstar Strand Theatre
*Support for Maoli’s Last Sip of Summer Tour
^ Support for Kolohe Kai’s What Aloha Means Tour