Australian songwriter and producer Tones And I hit the jackpot in 2019 when she released her breakout hit, “Dance Monkey.” She didn’t just top the Aussie record charts and knock Bing Crosby’s “White Christmas” off the top spot for most weeks spent at #1; the song hit #1 in a staggering 39 countries, from Singapore to Scotland, Ecuador to Estonia.
When the female musician performed the hit at Australia’s 2019 Splendour in the Grass festival, the moment went completely viral, amassing over 134 million YouTube views to date!
Tones and I didn’t have to headline this fest to take over the internet with her epic set. Tame Impala, Childish Gambino, and Hilltop Hoods officially crowned this three-day weekend, supported by main stage artists including Foals, Catfish and the Bottlemen, SZA, James Blake, and Wolf Alice. But despite Tones performing in the midday sun of the festival’s first afternoon, her anthem sent her entire audience feral.
From the second she introduces the track and hits play on her production gear, Music Man readers can catch the crowd jumping like fleas before Tones’ first verse has even kicked off. Then, the platinum blonde’s voice completely steals the limelight, her quirky tones akin to Paloma Faith yet possessed by the oddities of dance anthems.
But while the crowd is clearly loving it, it’s even more awesome to see Tones And I living her dream on the main stage, beaming smiles through every moment, pumping up her audience and even breaking her lyrics to laugh at their antics.
Even notorious haters of dance music have been left gobsmacked by this clip. You don’t have to be a fan of Tones’ global hit to notice that this is one authentic producer who’s able to sing her lyrics exactly like the record and without a hint of autotune, playback, or post-production. Her unique sound is ripped raw from her heart, leading one YouTube viewer to comment, “She looks like she’s genuinely enjoying her music and that’s kinda rare these days. Such a lovely woman.”
Another long-term pop fan has been converted by Tones and I’s abnormal voice, enthusiastically writing, “The courage to be herself with her talent and have the guts to not have somebody change her style. I’m 63 years old and it’s a long time since my jaw has dropped. She is terrific. Great passion!!!”
“Dance Monkey” became the unstoppable hit of a generation, racking up not only the 134 million views on this one live clip, but over 3.2 billion streams on Spotify to date, 2.2 billion hits on the official music video, over 500 million views across various lyric videos, and countless millions more across other viral live performances of the song.
Tones And I has proven she’s far more than a one-hit wonder, capturing the world’s attention with her electrifying performances and record-breaking hit. Her impact, from viral moments to chart domination, is undeniable. For those eager to follow her journey and explore her musical creations, be sure to check out the links below.