{"id":1292495,"date":"2023-05-22T03:10:13","date_gmt":"2023-05-22T07:10:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bugaluu.com\/news\/and-the-winner-of-american-idol-season-21-is\/1292495\/"},"modified":"2023-05-22T03:10:13","modified_gmt":"2023-05-22T07:10:13","slug":"and-the-winner-of-american-idol-season-21-is","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bugaluu.com\/news\/and-the-winner-of-american-idol-season-21-is\/1292495\/","title":{"rendered":"And the winner of ‘American Idol’ Season 21 is\u2026"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/a><\/div>\n
Iam Tongi, far right, wins ‘American Idol’ Season 21, while Colin Stough and Megan Danielle respectively place third and second. (Photo: ABC\/Eric McCandless)<\/figcaption>
ABC<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n

On the American Idol<\/em> Season 21 premiere, a soft-spoken Hawaiian singer-songwriter named Iam Tongi barely made it through his emotional audition. The 18-year-old\u2019s biggest supporter and inspiration, his musician dad, had died just two months earlier, and the staggering loss had made Iam consider quitting music altogether \u2014 until his mother signed him up for Idol<\/em>. When Iam sweetly and sincerely sang James Blunt\u2019s \u201cMonsters\u201d<\/a> (which Blunt wrote for his own seriously ill father<\/a> in 2019) in front of the judges that fateful day, it was a moment that Lionel Richie said had the potential to \u201cfracture some souls.\u201d<\/p>\n

That raw performance became Season 21\u2019s most viral moment after it aired in February, with a combined 45 million views on YouTube and Facebook, immediately establishing Iam as this year\u2019s frontrunner and fan favorite. And Iam maintained that frontrunner status right up until Sunday\u2019s Idol <\/em>finale, when, after the live coast-to-coast vote, he beat out country crooners Megan Danielle and Colin Stough to become the show\u2019s newly crowned champion.\u00a0<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n

And in a full-circle moment that was arguably even more memorable than the finale’s actual winner announcement, on Sunday Iam and James Blunt actually teamed up for a soul-fracturing \u201cMonsters\u201d duet. Once again, Iam\u2019s tears flowed. James was weepy too, as were the judges, and even Blunt\u2019s fellow finale guest performer, face-tattooed country rebel Jelly Roll, was sobbing as he watched.<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n

Iam\u2019s victory was hardly a shocker, given his massive and unstoppable popularity. On last week’s top five show, judge Katy Perry had even boldly predicted<\/a> that Iam would become the next American Idol. All season long, the judges had marveled at the adoring studio audience’s screams for Iam week after week, and this week, during his hometown visit in Kahuka, Hawaii, Iam performed for a whopping 14,000<\/em> fans at the Turtle Bay Resort. (It should be noted that Iam is now the first contestant from Hawaii to ever win the show. Hawaiian-born Idol<\/em> alumnus Jasmine Trias, who made it all the way to third place in Season 3, was even in Sunday\u2019s finale audience to cheer him on.)\u00a0<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n

However, considering how well male country singers usually fare on Idol<\/em>, it was<\/em> a bit of a surprise that, after Sunday’s first round of 13 million real-time votes, Colin Stough placed third<\/em>. When all three finalists performed songs by guest mentor Keith Urban plus hometown dedications Sunday, the young and green Colin did seem to choke under the finale-night pressure. Megan\u2019s renditions of Urban\u2019s \u201cGod Whispered Your Name<\/a>\u201d and Journey\u2019s \u201cFaithfully\u201d<\/a> earned standing ovations for what Lionel called her \u201cnatural BBQ-sauce abilities,\u201d and Iam\u2019s \u201cMaking Memories of Us\u201d<\/a> (which judge Luke Bryan declared \u201cone of my favorite performances of the year\u201d) and cover of Kolohe Kai\u2019s \u201cCool Down\u201d<\/a> of course had the audience wildly chanting his name. Conversely, Colin was nervous and pitchy on Keith\u2019s \u201cStupid Boy,\u201d<\/a> although he was much more solid on his second song, Chris Stapleton\u2019s \u201cEither Way.\u201d Regardless, Colin had no professional experience before trying out for Idol<\/em>, so he should be very proud of his third-place finish. \u201cIt\u2019s been a pleasure seeing how you\u2019ve grown. You\u2019ve come so far,\u201d Luke told Colin.<\/p>\n

\"Colin
Colin Stough places third on ‘American Idol’ Season 21. (Photo: ABC\/Eric McCandless)
\n<\/figcaption>
ABC<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n
<\/div>\n

Iam and Megan then performed their potential coronation singles: Megan\u2019s \u201cDream Girl,\u201d which was co-written by Season 17 finalist Laci Kaye Booth, and Iam\u2019s \u201cI\u2019ll Be Seeing You,\u201d which was penned by Season 18\u2019s Francisco Martin. Of the two, Iam got the better song, but at this point, it was clear that Iam could have been given, say, \u201cNo Boundaries\u201d or \u201cThis Is My Now\u201d and he still would have easily prevailed.<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n

Other highlights of Sunday\u2019s performance-packed, three-hour finale included top 12 diva Nutsa dueting with international pop sensation Kylie Minogue<\/a>, the totally robbed W\u00e9 Ani joining fierce forces with Jazmine Sullivan<\/a>, Zachariah Smith teaming with REO Speedwagon\u2019s Kevin Cronin<\/a>, Lucy Love joining T-Boz and Chilli for a lively medley of TLC hits<\/a>, Megan reuniting with Lauren Daigle<\/a> (who\u2019d surprised Megan during her audition), and Katy generously dueting with Haven Madison<\/a> on Haven\u2019s own excellent original, \u201cI Still Need You.\u201d But the most heartwarming celebrity duet of the night \u2014 aside from Iam and James Blunt\u2019s \u201cMonsters,\u201d of course \u2014 had to be the \u201cThe Impossible Dream,\u201d by beloved alumni Ruben Studdard and Clay Aiken.<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n

Exactly 20 years ago, 38 million viewers tuned in to witness Ruben win American Idol<\/em> Season 2, on the highest-rated single episode in Idol<\/em> history, and both Ruben and Clay went on to massive success. Obviously, Idol<\/em> doesn\u2019t pull those sort of circa-2003 numbers anymore (no television show does, in this streaming age), but it\u2019s quite possible that Iam and Megan will become another iconic Idol <\/em>twosome, with record deals and radio hits of their own. Right before Tom dimmed the lights and host Ryan Seacrest announced Iam\u2019s win, Katy imagined Iam\u2019s dad, as well as Megan\u2019s dear departed grandfather “Paw-Paw” (whose presence and influence were also felt throughout Season 21), holding hands in Heaven and watching Sunday\u2019s finale together. And whatever happens next, both contestants definitely made their late father figures proud tonight.<\/p>\n

\"Iam
Iam Tongi’s proud mother, the recently widowed Lillie Tongi, in the audience with Ryan Seacrest on the ‘American Idol’ Season 21 finale. (Photo: ABC\/Eric McCandless)<\/figcaption>
ABC<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n

Read more from Yahoo Entertainment:<\/strong><\/p>\n