American Idol Winner Iam Tongi Premieres 'Unbreak My Heart On The Kelly Clarkson Show

06-08-2025

(EBM) On the heels of a week of career firsts and milestones including a performance on "The Kelly Clarkson Show," his CMA Fest debut and being surprised with a plaque for 100,000,000 streams, "American Idol" Season 21 winner and Hawaii native, Iam Tongi, releases the powerful new track, "Unbreak My Heart," today via 19 Recordings. Watch Tongi debut an acoustic version of the track on Monday's "The Kelly Clarkson Show" below.

Written by Johnny Reid and Thomas "Tawgs" Salter and recorded in Nashville at Soultrain Sound Studios, the deeply personal ballad finds Tongi reflecting on the loss of his father and picking up the pieces. Delivering vocals tinged with pain and perseverance in a tribute to wounds that never heal, the song is a spiritual follow-up to Tongi's tearjerking performance of James Blunt's "Monsters" on "American Idol." Arriving just over a week before Father's Day the new track is once again dedicated to his late father.

Tongi says of the song, "I recorded 'Unbreak My Heart' in honor of my late father. The first time I heard it I was reminded of exactly how I felt the day we lost him. It speaks true to me and I hope anyone that hears it that has experienced loss knows they are not alone."

I remember when the call came in
Telling me you were gone
I remember trying to pretend
You'd be there when I got home
I stood out in the pouring rain
Scared to face the truth
I fell down on my knees
And in the darkness cried to you

How do I
Unbreak, unbreak
Unbreak my heart
How do I
Unbreak, unbreak
Unbreak my heart

The new music follows a flurry of activity in recent weeks for the Hawaii native, including a return to the Idol stage for the hit ABC show's Disney Night. The Pacific Islander performed the Lilo & Stitch classic "Hawaiian Roller Coaster Ride." Tongi's take of the song is featured in Disney's blockbuster live-action Lilo & Stitch film in theaters now.