25,5 million video views on YouTube, over 7 weeks at the top of the Australian ARIA Charts. All this in just six months since the release of the Dance Monkey hit. What is this if not a bright talent and universal recognition?
Behind the name of the Tones and I project is the rising star of the Australian pop scene Toni Watson. She won her first fans at the street concerts of the town of Byron Bay.
Childhood Tony Watson
The future star was born on August 15, 2000 in the Australian state of Victoria, located on the Mornington Peninsula. Her earliest memory associated with music, the girl refers to the age of 7.
Then she and her family walked in Frankstone Park, sang together, and the aunt noted Tony's efforts, saying that she was the best at taking notes.
Passion for music-making continued at school. There, the girl was able to independently learn how to play drums and keyboards, and from the first money she earned, she acquired the first phrase sampler.
In parallel with music, Tony was fond of basketball from an early age. According to her, sports, along with music, perfectly help to cope with all life's problems.
Musical vocation Tones and I
In high school, the girl realized that she liked electronic music more. She continues to experiment and try to realize herself already in this format. Parents always supported their children, and for their birthday they presented a long-awaited gift - a drum machine, on which Tony wrote the first tracks.
Creative activity did not begin to give at least any significant income. Tony got a job in retail, but did not give up musical experiments.
The tipping point
The girl organized the first performances in her town at local festivals, not yet choosing a stage name. In 2018, Tony made the fateful decision to pursue his creative vision and devote himself entirely to music.
She quit her job, got a street performance permit and gave her first gigs in Melbourne. According to Tony's recollections, she had to sing at bus stops and beaches.
Play a broken piano, but even so, she had enough money to live on. She lived at that time in a trailer bought with savings, which did not bother the young girl at all.
Fateful meeting
After the next performance, some guy approached Tony and handed him a business card with a request to call him at any convenient time.
The girl did not take this gesture seriously and for some time forgot about the meeting. However, an inner voice constantly whispered to her so that she would not hesitate and urgently tried to seize the opportunity that had arisen. Toni decided to call, and this was the beginning of her friendship with the future manager and career takeoff.
During 2018, under the strict guidance of an experienced manager, Tony has been developing his musical abilities, without stopping performing in public. She did not rush to record, which later turned out to be the right decision. Tony seemed to accumulate a unique charisma and a unique talent, then to instantly win the hearts of millions of fans around the world.
The first creation of the singer Tones & Eye
In the early spring of 2019, the first official Tones and I track called Johnny Run Away appeared. This composition, dedicated to the best friend of the singer, was released on the online portal Triple J Unearthed. She literally "blew up" the audience of the channel and literally a day later the girl woke up famous.
The next good news was a contract offered by the Australian label Lemon Tree Music. Now Tony can give himself completely to his favorite work and start touring with his own repertoire. The Tones and I project began its victorious march around the planet.
Later, the singer recalled that she did not want to believe in the success of the undertaking, so as not to be disappointed. The girl gave herself the installation that she was just experimenting and posting the track for the sake of curiosity. She did not expect such success even in her wildest dreams.
Two months after the success of the first song, the track Dance Monkey was released. It immediately became a hit on the charts in more than 10 countries around the world. The video clip for this composition has collected millions of views online, lifting Tony to the top of fame. In the middle of the summer all the tickets for the first Australian tour of Tones and I were sold out, and the first studio album called The Kids Fre Coming was announced.
Interesting facts about Tones and I
Despite the light motifs in the Tones and I tracks, the lyrics are not meaningless and convey the singer's feelings.
In the track Dance Monkey, the singer says that you can't stop there. It is worth continuing to move forward, hinting at future own hits.
The composition Johnny Run Away tells about the difficult fate of a young guy. Makes the listener empathize with a short but tragic story.
The Kids Are Coming makes the listener think about how modern society reacts to the interests and needs of young people.
Unlike many of her colleagues in the workshop, she tries in her work to focus on the semantic load, and not on light and memorable melody. It is all the more interesting to watch the work of a young talent who managed to win six nominations of the Australian Recording Industry Association in less than a year.
