By now, you, your grandmother, your dog and especially your nephews and nieces have heard the infectious earworm of a bop that is ‘Dance Monkey’ by Tones And I. But have you ever ventured into the other tracks that the record-breaking artist has in her arsenal?
We thought it would be wise to recount the best songs she’s made since she first stepped out onto the scene. Excluding the goliath gem that is ‘Dance Monkey’, we’ve ranked some other songs that make Tones And I the incredible artist she is.
10. ‘Forever Young’ Like a Version
Heading over to the triple j Like a Version booth to offer up a stunning version of ‘Forever Young’, Tones And I showed all of Australia that she is a talent with exceptional understanding of her vocal range. Also, the song choice may have been an exceptional comeback at those who have scrutinised the artist for lying about her age.
9. ‘Can’t Be Happy All The Time’
Vulnerability is at the forefront with this Tones track. A song that sees the songwriter grapple with her astronomic ascension to fame.
“This is a song about the struggles of rising to fame so quickly and dealing with a dramatic change in lifestyle — the good and bad that comes with it,” she said of the track.
Imagine breaking all of the records and becoming a global superstar off of your debut EP? Tones And I proved she isn’t here to rest on her laurels when she released new tracks ‘Bad Child’ and ‘Can’t Be Happy All The Time’ on the same day. The new singles notably marked her first new music since her THE KIDS ARE COMING EP.
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We can see ‘Can’t Be Happy All The Time’ as the main soundtrack single from the next Pixar blockbuster, or just the track we cry to at night, either or.
8. ‘The Kids Are Coming’
A powerful message, a strong sentiment and some killer production, this track is definitely one of the most remarkable efforts on Tones And I’s 2019 EP.
7. ‘Dance Monkey (Stripped Back)’
Literally nobody saw this stripped back version of ‘Dance Monkey’ coming our way, but when it did it proved that Tones And I is capable of slowing her voice down to reach new emotional heights. And yes, this is still ‘Dance Monkey’, but come on man we had to fit it in somehow.
6. ‘Bad Child’
Tones And I must have a tonne of music in the bank because she unleashed two tracks into the world on the very same day, ‘Bad Child’ and ‘Can’t Be Happy All The Time’.
Tones said of the track: “I’ve always wanted to write a song in someone else’s shoes; writing from their perspective. ‘Bad Child’ was the first time I got to do that. It’s seeing life growing up through someone else’s eyes.”
5. ‘Colourblind’
Never forget that Tones And I has a soulful voice unlike any other in Australian music. ‘Colourblind’ proves that exceptionally well, plus it’s a tearjerker that makes us cry every time.
4. ‘Jimmy’
The brother song to ‘Johnny Run Away’, Jimmy tells the story of the titular character who appears in ‘Johnny’, but this time around he has his own story to tell. I’m not crying, you are.
3. ‘Cloudy Day’
It’s no exaggeration to say to ‘Cloudy Day’ is a straight-up anthem, one that will no doubt move listeners with its touching lyrics, stirring vocal delivery and Gospel-esque choir. The song is made all the more powerful by the fact it was written while Tones was in the midst of grieving a friend gone too soon.
“After my friend T passed away I was struggling to write any songs that were happy or that I even liked. I met up with a friend who told me this saying from his late mum – ‘on a cloudy day, look up into the sky and find the sun.’ I knew I wanted to use that as a lyric and the next time I went into the studio I wrote ‘Cloudy Day’,” said Tones.
2. ‘Fly Away’
A track that proved the staying power of Tones And I. A soaring ode to her comeuppance as a busker. The singer wrote the track while quarantining at home in Melbourne, Australia, during the pandemic.
“‘Fly Away’ is about chasing your dreams, reaching your goals, and the realities that comes with it,” Tones said in a statement. “Being a busker, I obviously had bigger dreams. However, this song is inspired by the way I thought I would feel versus the way I actually feel. I think that’s very powerful, at least to me.”
1. ‘Johnny Run Away’
Tones And I said gay rights and that’s that on that. Seriously, this song is tremendously powerful in its message, and showcases Tones And I’s voice perfectly.
