He’s still in it to win it.<\/p>\n
Decatur High School student and “American Idol” contestant Iam Tongi is on to the next round after the latest episode of his competition in Hollywood aired this week.<\/p>\n
His journey began last year, when Tongi earned an opportunity to sing onscreen for judges Lionel Richie, Katy Perry and Luke Bryan. Tongi and other artists earned tickets to further compete in Hollywood.<\/p>\n
In episodes that premiered April 2 and 3, Tongi made it through the next two rounds, including a duet in which he performed with fellow competitor Oliver Steele. The two sang “Save Your Tears” by The Weeknd and Ariana Grande.<\/p>\n
Just prior to their performance, Tongi’s guitar — the one gifted to him by his dad Rodney — was damaged, forcing him to go on stage with a temporary replacement and feeling anxious about performing.<\/p>\n
Steele consoled him before they went on stage: “It’s you, it’s not the guitar. The power of all that comes from you. The guitar is just a tool.”<\/p>\n
On stage and in tears, Tongi rallied and performed alongside Steele, singing lyrics that seemed almost too poetic for the circumstances.<\/p>\n
“Save your tears for another day,” Tongi crooned, a smile soon growing across his face.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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