12-year-old Aussie singer Annie Jones looks like a regular schoolgirl, but when she sings something magical happens. On America’s Got Talent Annie sang Tones and I’s “Dance Monkey” and absolutely nailed it, showing off a huge stage presence and hitting all the big notes like a seasoned pro.
The three judges present quickly gave Annie three yes votes, causing the youngster to jump up and down with glee on stage, as you can see below. Sofía Vergara said “that song was amazing. You were so confident and I think this is what you are meant to do in your life.” Howie Mandel also gave big praise to the young singer, saying “you are a beautiful little dance monkey – you are amazing. It’s so stunning. You’re a great performer, you sound great, you’re a star and the world now knows you.”
Annie’s singing was a big hit with the studio audience and also with music fans online, with the video clocking up 16 million views on YouTube. Simon Cowell was also a fan, saying “I can tell how much you love that song and I like your little twist on it. While you were up there, your confidence was quite amazing.”
Annie’s audition allowed her to progress on season 15 of America’s Got Talent, although she was eventually eliminated in the quarter finals. For her second and final performance on the show, Annie sang Lady Gaga and Ariana Grande collab “Rain on Me”. As you can hear below, the performance was a change of pace for the young singer, as she performed the song in an R&B piano ballad style.
Fans online couldn’t get enough of Annie’s performance of “Dance Monkey”, with several even favourably comparing her to the original recording with comments like “She totally killed this. I like her voice way better,” and “The best cover I’ve heard yet. She actually performed it better than the original singer.”
Annie Jones began performing at age eight, debuting as a performer in a stage show for The Sound of Music and following it up with performances at several other theatre productions. She soon made a name for herself in her homeland, performing on Australia’s Got Talent and on the Australian prime time television show “The Project”.
Annie’s choice of “Dance Money” for her America’s Got Talent audition was quite inspired, as the high pitched vocal performance on the original song is just made for a child’s voice, although she also brought a lot of her own style to the vocal part.
The infectiously catchy electropop track “Dance Monkey” was a huge hit for Australian singer Tones and I in 2019, topping the singles charts in over 30 countries. It broke chart records in Australia and the UK, as well as becoming the most streamed song by a female artist on Spotify, and the third most streamed song overall on the platform, with 2.8 billion streams.
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