American Idol Winner Iam Tongi Releases Cover of Morgan Wallen's ‘Sand in My Boots’
By Maxim Mower
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American Idol's Season 21 victor, Iam Tongi, has released a special new acoustic cover of Morgan Wallen's much-loved chart-topping single, ‘Sand in My Boots’.
The song originally appeared on Morgan's widely acclaimed 2021 double-album, Dangerous, and remains a fan-favourite, with the ‘Last Night’ hitmaker still regularly including it in his setlist.
Iam Tongi's newly released rendition of the heartbroken, sun-soaked ballad offers listeners the chance to hear the forlorn track in a new light, with Tongi stripping back the production and showcasing his enchanting vocals alongside a pining steel guitar.
Iam Tongi's cover, which has been accompanied by a performance video, is the latest in the Hawaii-born singer-songwriter's Acoustic Sessions series. In September, Tongi shared a moving version of Mel & Tim's ‘Starting All Over Again’, and touchingly dedicated the song to victims of the deadly wildfires in Maui.
In May, Iam Tongi became the first artist from Hawaii to win American Idol, with Tongi earning a slew of fans right from the beginning, when he performed James Blunt's ‘Monsters’ as an homage to his father, who passed away shortly before the show.
A matter of months after triumphing in the hugely popular singing competition, Iam Tongi dropped an official duet of ‘Monsters’ with James Blunt, with the evocative, intricate ode to a son's grief remaining one of Tongi's most celebrated releases to date.
