American Idol winner Iam Tongi brings message of faith, family to Salt Lake City

SALT LAKE CITY — This weekend, singer Iam Tongi brought his signature soulful sound to the Salt Palace.

The “American Idol” winner headlined the Young Single Adult Conference hosted by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Before taking the stage, Tongi spoke with KSL, sharing messages about faith, family and an exciting new chapter in his life.

He said returning to Utah feels a little like coming home.

“Every time I come to Utah, I go straight to my cousins,” he said. “We hang out until like 3 o’clock in the morning, jamming music, hanging out (and) playing cards.”

Since winning “American Idol” in 2023, the 21-year-old singer-songwriter has released a debut album and toured across the country. But when he reflects on the last few years, Tongi said some of his biggest growth hasn’t just happened on stage.

“I feel like I’ve grown a lot spiritually,” he said. “Trying to be more confident in my music, trying to do what I love, make music that I love.”

He’s also preparing for one of the biggest milestones of his life.

“I’m getting married also,” Tongi said. “Getting married in like two weeks.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

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The singer joked that wedding planning has come with one unexpected perk.

“I tell you what, it’s a lot of writing fuel,” he said with a laugh.

He’s also been getting plenty of marital advice. “From everybody,” Tongi said. “A lot of the times, it’s good advice. Sometimes I’m like, ‘I’m not so sure about that.'”

As he prepares to start a family of his own, Tongi continues to carry the memory of his father with him. His father died from kidney failure in 2021, a loss that continues to shape both his life and his music. That connection became the foundation for one of the most meaningful collaborations of his career.

Tongi recently worked with Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson on the song “Your Dad,” featured on Disney’s Moana: Voices Across the Ocean album.

Johnson approached Tongi about writing a song from a father’s perspective, a challenge that pushed the young artist creatively.

“I had to use my imagination because I don’t have kids,” Tongi said. “I’m trying to think, what would he say?”

What Johnson didn’t know was that Tongi had already written a song called “My Dad,” inspired by his own father. The original version was written from a son’s perspective, promising to tell future generations about the man who taught him life’s biggest lessons.

After hearing it, Johnson suggested a different approach.

Instead of a son talking about his father, what if the song became a father speaking directly to his child?

Tongi said Johnson helped rework lyrics about moving mountains, fighting giants and giving in silence, transforming them into words of encouragement passed from one generation to the next.

“We worked together on the thing, we pieced it together (and) made it make sense,” Tongi said. “It still has a place in my heart because I wrote it for my dad.” The collaboration gave Tongi a newfound respect for Johnson’s songwriting instincts.

“It made me realize, ‘Hey, this guy’s a good writer,'” he said. Hearing the finished version struck an emotional chord.

“When Dwayne changed it, I cried,” Tongi said.

The moment happened during a listening party in Los Angeles. Tongi said Johnson played the song on his father’s birthday.

“I was just thinking, ‘Dang, that’s my dad,'” Tongi said. “I was thinking it from my dad’s perspective, singing to me.” That same appreciation for the people who helped shape him is what Tongi hopes to share with the young adults who came to hear him perform.

“I really hope that they feel the positivity that we’re trying to put out there,” he said. “And I hope that they feel the love.” The message is rooted in advice his father gave him years ago.

“My dad always used to say, ‘You can learn all these tricks and do all these vocal backflips, but if you don’t sing from your heart and your soul, you’re just making noise,'” Tongi said.

Whether it’s music, athletics or any other pursuit, Tongi believes the lesson applies.

“You’ve got to do it because you love it,” he said. “You’ve got to put your heart into it.”