"Krone" talk

Tones And I: “I often strive for perfection”

The eternal battle against the huge hit: Tones And I release their second album "Beautifully Ordinary".

(Bild: Krone KREATIV/Atlantic, Andreas Graf)

With "Dance Monkey", Australian Toni Watson aka Tones And I wrote one of the biggest hits of this millennium. After a forced pandemic break and the pursuit of perfection, her second studio album "Beautifully Ordinary" is finally being released. In the "Krone" interview, she talks about the pressure of constantly having to measure herself against a global hit, among other things.

There are hits, then there are hits and then there is "Dance Monkey". When the song saw the light of day in May 2019 as the second single from Toni Watson's aka Tones And I's debut EP "The Kids Are Coming", you could have guessed that it could be a considerable success. At the time, however, there was no way of knowing how much the lively dance number would blossom. The song landed at the top of the charts in 38 countries, and in Watson's home country of Australia for 24 weeks in a row, obliterating the age-old record from 1943 (Bing Crosby with "White Christmas" for 22 weeks). Eleven weeks at the top of the UK singles charts had never before been achieved by a woman and in the USA it was the first top 5 song in more than eight years to be written solely by a woman. With more than three billion streams, "Dance Monkey" is the eighth most successful song of all time and the most successful female-produced song.

Exceeding the wildest expectations
"Just look at all the successful female artists out there," laughs Tones And I in the "Krone" interview, "there are some caliber artists who are real idols for me, but they don't come close to these streaming numbers, that's absolutely crazy. I would have been more than happy with 100,000 streams, but of course this exceeded my wildest expectations." It is curious that "Dance Monkey" is a casual party hit for millions of people, but was written by Tones And I with a negative emotion. "It was finished in half an hour. When I was still a street musician in Australia, a bunch of drunk guys walked past me and threw my keyboard off the stand. One of them tried to take my money and every time I tried to start a conversation with them, they shouted 'sing, sing sing'. The word 'dance' somehow seemed more appropriate and universal to me. I was angry and frustrated - and look what happened."

Tones And I were never able to match the groundbreaking success of this early song, and a little later, the unfortunate coronavirus pandemic meant that their debut album "Welcome To The Madhouse", released in 2021, was unable to hit the mark globally as planned. "If you take away the Covid and street musician years in Byron Bay, I've only had a career for two years", the power woman laughs out loud, "I didn't even want to release 'Dance Monkey', I just wanted to play on the street. But now I want to give myself the chance to try myself out and succeed in the music scene." Toni Watson is first and foremost a power woman who wears her heart on her sleeve and speaks to her fans from her soul. "The song 'Johnny Run Away' is about my best friend's coming out, which was not well received by his father. 'Georgia' is about a girl who has always been bullied online and can't escape it because the internet has a total grip on us. I tell specific stories so vaguely that they seem familiar to everyone."

Striving for perfection
The burden of a second album almost broke Watson in the meantime. She has been announcing the eagerly awaited follow-up for more than two years, but then preferred to fire one single after another into orbit and let several opportunities for a full-length slip by. "I always want everything to be as perfect as possible. I know that's not possible, but I strive for it and that's what keeps me going." "Beautifully Ordinary" is the name of the lush album, which lasts more than an hour and on which Watson has worked meticulously and obsessed with detail. "Each song tells a different story related to the moment, I never had an overarching story in mind. There's an undercurrent of loneliness, heartbreak, despair, fear, vulnerability and triumph, and the happiest songs have the saddest stories at their heart." The Australian, who is not only a singer and songwriter but also a co-producer, focuses on nostalgia, inner peace and the search for oneself.

Above all, Tones And I is not afraid of big and catchy melodies. "There's a reason why mainstream female artists are in the mainstream. They make great music and the masses love it. Adele, for example, is sheer madness. Sia is also an incredible singer with a fantastic voice - plus she's a real 'Australian girl'." Before Tones And I wowed audiences at the renowned Poolbar Festival in Feldkirch, Vorarlberg, a few days ago, they had only played once in Austria - as the support act for Macklemore 2023 at the Wiener Stadthalle. "I've already done three tours with Ben and the whole crew is delightful. Everyone makes sure that the others are doing well and that the atmosphere is right. I was on stage with a 13-piece band and they all stayed in Europe for an extra month to explore the continent. Especially after Corona, the tour was an amazing experience."

Feeling the song
Not measuring herself against the success of the century of "Dance Monkey", whether consciously or unconsciously, will remain a life task for the 31-year-old. Instead of facing up to these comparisons, however, she simply continues to work meticulously. On the new album, on songs for film soundtracks, on collaborations and also as a songwriter for other artists, where the range goes from orchestral songs to beat-heavy EDM breakers. "I just like writing songs. No matter for whom. My own are a bit more special because they are always strongly linked to emotions. I have to record my own songs as long as I can feel them. Once the first emotion is gone, I'm no longer interested in the song." The top star, who has been streamed billions of times, remains modest: "I always expect little and am happy when I get more. I also like playing in clubs. The main thing is that people go wild and we all have a good evening. As long as there are people who want to see me, I'll keep going."