Iam Tongi Scores First No. 1 Song with “I’ll Be Seeing You”

American Idol season 21 winner Iam Tongi is on top of the charts. Fresh off his Idol victory, the Hawaii native has scored his first No. 1 song with the emotional “I’ll Be Seeing You” that is currently at the top of the Billboard Rock Digital Songs Sales chart, Billboard reports. It also cracked the Top 30 on both the Hot Rock Songs and Hot Rock & Alternative Songs charts at No. 19 and No. 23, respectively. It sits at No. 2 on the Digital Song Sales chart.

Tongi debuted “I’ll Be Seeing You” during the Idol finale. Written by Francisco Martin VI, Tongi sang the song as a tribute to his late father Rodney who inspired him to pursue music. “It’s almost like a conversation, saying to my dad, ‘I’ll be seeing you wherever I go, I’ll be with you wherever I go,’” Tongi told American Songwriter. “[It’s like] my dad talking back to me now that he’s gone, no matter what happens, where he goes, he’s going to be with me in my heart and in my mind and through the memories.”

The 18-year-old was a standout from his audition where he sang “Monsters” by James Blunt, sharing the heartbreaking story of how his father had passed away. He had auditioned for season 20 of Idol, but was eliminated. That’s when his mother signed him up to audition for season 21 without her son’s knowledge. “After my dad passed away, I didn’t want to do music anymore,” Tongi said. “I just practiced hard because she was like, ‘Do this one for dad.’”

Megan Danielle was named runner-up while Colin Stough placed third. “There’s a moment in time in your life when the magic happens and my friend this is magical for you,” judge Lionel Richie told Tongi during Disney week. “This is a time when all the stars align. It’s really happening.”

Tongi is currently working on new music.

Photo by ABC/Eric McCandless