Iam Tongi will join his fellow American Idol finalists Megan Danielle and Colin Stough in competition during the Season 23 finale on Sunday (May 21). Ahead of the big night, Tongi has shared his first official single, “I’ll Be Seeing You.”
The acoustic-led song was written by Francisco Martin VI, and in it, Tongi emotionally sings of keeping the memories of a lost loved one fresh in his mind. The song is astonishingly genuine as he confronts the fears that go along with losing a special someone. The serene instrumentation and Tongi’s voice make for an incredibly meaningful message.
“‘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,” he sings in the heartfelt chorus.
Although Tongi didn’t write “I’ll Be Seeing You,” the vulnerable lyrics remind him of his dad, Rodney, who died just months before Tongi’s American Idol audition.
“The meaning of this song to me is when you lose someone you love, everything that you should do with them reminds you of them,” the contestant says in a video shared to social media. “My dad had kidney failure and he used to go to dialysis, and every single time we pass 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,” he adds.
Tongi joins Danielle and Stough in releasing new music on Friday (May 19): Danielle released a tune called “Dream Girl” and Stough released “I Still Talk to Jesus.” The three contestants will compete for their chance at the American Idol crown on Sunday, May 21, at 8PM ET.
The three-hour American Idol finale will not only include performances from the finalists, but the star-studded event will see guest performances from Jelly Roll, Lainey Wilson, Ellie Goulding, James Blunt, Jazmine Sullivan, REO Speedwagon’s Kevin Cronin, Kylie Minogue, Lauren Daigle, Pitbull and TLC.
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