In 2019, she broke the Australian record for the most weeks at number one on the ARIA Singles Chart by any artist with 16 weeks. By mid-January 2020, "Dance Monkey" had spent its 24th and final week at number one, beating Bing Crosby's all-time Australian record for his version of "White Christmas", which spent 22 weeks at the top in 1943.
"Dance Monkey" was accredited 16× platinum by ARIA for shipments of over 1,120,000 units, by mid-2021. Tones was the most awarded artist at the ARIA Music Awards of 2019, winning four of eight nominations. Tones and I released her debut extended play, The Kids Are Coming, on 30 August 2019, which peaked at number three in Australia, and top 10 in several countries. Her debut album, Welcome to the Madhouse, was released via Bad Batch on 16 July 2021. It debuted at number one on the ARIA Albums Chart. The album's lead single "Fly Away" peaked at number four in Australia and number 11 in the UK.
Toni Watson grew up in Mount Martha on the Mornington Peninsula to the south of Melbourne, in the Australian state of Victoria. Conflicting reports state she was born either in 1993 or in 2000. The artist prefers not to disclose her birth details, "I never denied my age. I never lied about it. I just don't say anything now... Everything is wrong online."
She explained choosing a music career: "One day I was at the park with my family, all my cousins and stuff, in Frankston... We were all just singing a song and my aunty was like 'oh guys, she can actually hold a note.' I think that's the earliest memory of someone actually pointing me out as someone that has an ability to sing. I was probably like 7 years old." The singer-songwriter had learned to play keyboards and drum pads while at secondary school.She started busking in Melbourne, while working in fashion retail at the Universal Store.
In 2009, as Toni Watson, she created a YouTube page and posted a cappella cover versions of songs. She performed local gigs and festivals, including the Let Go festival. Tones was the vocalist for a duo in 2014, and remembered: "I started out singing in small pubs and bars in Mornington, I was singing along to a guitarist until I ended up branching out on my own." She explained her shift to a solo career: "I actually got made redundant from my retail job and with that money I bought an RC300 (loop station) and just started to try to figure it all out." She busked "up and down the east coast with her synthesizers and loop pedal, she has been building a loyal fanbase and captivating crowds with her genre-diverse style."
In September 2017, the singer-songwriter travelled to Byron Bay in the Australian state of New South Wales to try busking there. At an early performance, she met Jackson Walkden-Brown who became her manager about a month later. Her busking success led to a greater commitment to a music career. The artist spent 2018 living between Walkden-Brown's home in the Gold Coast hinterland and in her van in Byron Bay, writing music and busking full-time. Later that year she won the Battle of the Buskers at Buskers by the Creek.
Colourblind
Tones And I Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Never hold you down, all the wilds and the truth
And I know that you'll remember me, oh, back in time
But you stay on my, oh, you stay on my mind
Wild weeks no sleep, now you're colorblind
But you're always there to share a smile
And I know sometimes get rough, you feel like you've been left behind
But you stay on my, oh, you stay on my mind
But you stay on my, oh, you stay on my mind
But you stay on my, oh, you stay on my mind
But you stay on my, oh, you stay in mind
Hot nights, rave lights, we sit outside
But we see more than just the stars
We're all caught up in our worries, we forget just where we are
We forget just where we are
Big steins, red wines, broken guitars
'Cause we're free and we're young and, mm
And I know you'll all remember me, oh, back in time
But you stay on my, oh, you stay on my mind
But you stay on my, oh, you stay on my mind
But you stay on my, oh, you stay in my mind
But you stay on my, oh, you stay in my mind
But you, no, you stay in mind
Sweet talks on a Sunday afternoon
Never hold you down, all the wilds and the truth
And I know that you'll remember me, oh, back in time
But you, well, you stay on my, oh, you stay on my mind
The lyrics to Tones And I's song Colourblind offer a vivid glimpse into a group of friends' wild and carefree lifestyle. The song's verses highlight the good times the group of friends had, from long talks on bright Sunday afternoons to unforgettable nights full of music, drinks, and laughter. The chorus features the singer's declarations of how much their friends' presence means to them, even amidst the ups and downs of life and the hazy aftermath of wild nights out. The line "now you're colorblind" could symbolize the group's recklessness and disregard for consequences while "we forget just where we are" suggests that they eventually lose sight of reality in their moments of wildness. However, the song concludes with the main message being that despite everything and the many changes that life brings about, friends remain unforgettable, etched in memory.
Overall, the song captures the essence of a certain kind of friendship, one that brims with unbridled joy and free-spiritedness. However, the song's delicate arrangement emphasizes its bittersweet seeds, and the lyrics' poignant storytelling reveals the tragic implications of the kind of wild and carefree lifestyle that the singer and her friends lead.
Line by Line Meaning
Sweet talks on a Sunday afternoon
We have pleasant conversations on a lazy weekend afternoon.
Never hold you down, all the wilds and the truth
I never try to restrain you, and we're always honest with each other.
And I know that you'll remember me, oh, back in time
I'm confident that you'll think of me in the future when you reflect on the past.
But you stay on my, oh, you stay on my mind
You occupy my thoughts and my memories in a significant way.
Wild weeks no sleep, now you're colorblind
We've had crazy experiences and have been sleep deprived, and now you're feeling overwhelmed and unable to see things clearly.
But you're always there to share a smile
Despite how you feel, you still find ways to bring positivity into the situation.
And I know sometimes get rough, you feel like you've been left behind
I understand that it can be tough and isolating to go through difficult times.
But you stay on my, oh, you stay on my mind
Even when things are hard, you continue to have an impact on me.
Hot nights, rave lights, we sit outside
We spend warm evenings under bright club lights, but we also value the simpler moments.
But we see more than just the stars
We recognize that there's more to the world than the obvious or the superficial.
We're all caught up in our worries, we forget just where we are
Despite our experiences and personal growth, it's easy to get lost in anxiety and forget to live in the present.
Big steins, red wines, broken guitars
We indulge in fun activities and take risks, but sometimes things go wrong.
'Cause we're free and we're young and, mm
We embrace our independence and youth.
And I know you'll all remember me, oh, back in time
I'm certain that I'll hold a special place in your memories in the future.
But you, well, you stay on my, oh, you stay on my mind
You remain important to me, and I continue to think of you regularly.
But you, no, you stay in mind
You're on my mind constantly, and I value the impact you've had on my life.
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Toni Watson
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@freedom9141
I saw you busking in Byron bay and I thought she’s gonna go big one day and here you are. Go girl! 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
@maya441
me too!
@hisokamorow6154
You lucky
@yahir3678
👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏
@imaneer9682
Woow you're one of the rare ones. Good for you bud
@jessihammond4249
This song makes me want to cry it is so beautiful who else agrees?😭😉
@cocokeung419
Her voice so pure, wanna make me cry
@honzabednar1098
Bukovou
@gph752
Her voice is so unique!!! I just lover her !
@trulyhuman6227
The lyrics and the way Tone delivers it with her soul, mixed with thoughts of my own flashing of the ones i miss. Sad yet beautiful.