‘I just like, whatever what they say,’ American Idol winner Iam Tongi embraces controversy

In a recent exclusive interview with DailyMail.com. American Idol winner Iam Tongi addressed the rigging scandal surrounding his victory and shared his thoughts on the controversy surrounding judge Katy Perry.

The 18-year-old aspiring musician, hailing from Hawaii, responded to accusations of favoritism and sympathy, expressing his love for the attention and his preparedness for the backlash.

Iam began by acknowledging the divided opinions among viewers regarding his win. While some believed he deserved the title, others argued that runner-up Colin Stough should have emerged victorious, leading to accusations of result manipulation. However, Iam made it clear that he does not mind the negative attention; in fact, he stated that he “loves it.”

“A lot of people are like, ‘Colin Stough was robbed,’ or whatever. And I just love it,” he stated.

The American Idol Winner attributed his ability to handle criticism to the advice given by his late father, Rodney Tongi, who prepared him for potential backlash upon entering the spotlight.

“My dad always told me that your music’s not meant for everyone. There’s going to be people that are not going to like it and that’s ok, that’s normal,’ he expressed.

“Everyone gets their own opinion. Everyone gets to thinks what they think. So, it’s fine,” Iam continued.

When it comes to dealing with online haters, Iam adopts a “kill them with kindness” approach. He dished, “I just like, whatever what they say, ‘cause you know, I gotta let those things happen,’” added, “I am guilty for liking it.”

Iam, whose heritage is Tongan and Samoan, made history by becoming the first person from Hawaii to win the 21st season of American Idol.

However, the title win was met with several backlashes on Twitter, with many expressing their support for Colin and claiming that he deserved to win.

Some tweets suggested that Iam’s victory was solely due to his “sob story” and that Colin was the superior singer.

Nevertheless, Iam clarified that there are no hard feelings between him and Colin. He expressed admiration for Colin’s kindness and revealed plans to reconnect with him for future music collaborations.

Addressing the controversy surrounding judge Katy Perry, the 18-year-old singer shared his experience of being judged by her.

Numerous reports had surfaced earlier, indicating that Katy was considering leaving the show due to negative comments on social media, following some insensitive statements she made about the contestants.

Iam acknowledged the fun and support that Katy and the other judges provided during his time on American Idol. He expressed, “[All the judges] are so fun and we had a lot of fun with them while I was on Idol.” added, “The support [Katy] gives and the love [she] gives to the contestants would be missed. I would miss Katy if she left.”

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Reflecting on his win, Iam described it as “unreal” and “crazy.” The reality of his achievement had not fully sunk in yet. Looking ahead, he expressed his excitement for recording his first album, which he described as having a “Jack Johnson kind of vibe.”