"A diamond in the rough": William Tongi's rendition of "Monsters" on American Idol leaves viewers emotional

American Idol Season 21 aired its premiere episode on Sunday, February 19, 2023, at 8 pm ET on ABC.

It documented the first round of auditions, where a fresh set of contestants performed for the judges in an effort to impress them and move forward to Hollywood Week. While some left the audience speechless and gained a golden ticket, others failed to make a mark.

The auditions took place in three cities - New Orleans, Las Vegas, and Nashville - and saw some incredible talent from all over the country.

On this week's episode of American Idol, William Tongi's rendition of James Blunt's Monsters left the judges and audience teary eyed. The song was a dedication to his father, who passed away a couple of months before the audition. The judges loved his performance and gave him a golden ticket to Hollywood. Fans were left emotional with his audition, and one tweeted:

The ABC franchise has been extremely popular amongst the audience. Season 21 of the hit series featured the popular judge trio - pop princess Katy Perry, Oscar-winning singer/songwriter Lionel Richie, and country superstar Luke Bryan - getting together for the fifth consecutive year.

Viewers got to witness their charming personalities and fun banter throughout the episode.

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William Tongi leaves judges emotional on American Idol

Tonight's episode of American Idol began with the show celebrating its 21st year. The judges were ready for the first round of auditions, but they weren't prepared for the amount of emotions that the contestants brought to the stage. Many delivered impressive performances and some also left the judges emotional.

One of the contestants was William Tongi (Iam). He was warmly welcomed by the judges as the hopeful entered with a guitar. The 18-year-old singer revealed that he was dedicating his performance to his father, who passed away a couple of months ago. While he was seemingly emotional about losing his father, it also left the judges in tears. It was his father, Rodney, who got him into music.

The American Idol contestant then sang his rendition of Monsters by James Blunt. Throughout his performance, the judges were emotional. Lionel and Luke couldn't stop their tears and had to keep wiping them as they tried to calm themselves down and listen to Iam perform. The lyrics of the song fit his story perfectly, which made the judges and audience emotional.

The song talked about the son making his father proud, and that they're just "grown men saying goodbye."

After Iam's performance, the judges applauded his talent. While Katy appreciated his song choice, Lionel stated how not only did he pick a great song, but he also delivered it really well. Luke was still emotional as he related to the contestant's journey, having faced the loss of his brother.

The American Idol judges noted that Iam was just 18 years old and had great talent. They wanted him to have fun in the competition and gave him a golden ticket to advance to Hollywood Week. Luke and Lionel even went and hugged the contestant before his exit. Iam was extremely emotional and revealed how his father wanted to see him on the show.

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Fans left emotional with William Tongi's performance on American Idol

Fans were left emotional with Iam's performance. They connected to his story and applauded his performance. Check out what they had to say:

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Season 21 of American Idol aired a very interesting premiere episode. Contestants came from diverse backgrounds and cultures and shared different life experiences that proved to be inspirational for the audience. Viewers will have to stay tuned to witness what's more in store for them.

Don't forget to tune in to a brand new episode of American Idol next Sunday, February 26, 2023, at 8 pm ET on ABC.