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Tones And I - Music
Rych McCain International/Nationally Syndicated Entertainment Columnist
Tones And I
TEAMS UP WITH HONDA STAGE & BILLBOARD FOR NEW MINI DOCUMENTARY
PERFORMS “FLY AWAY” & “NEVER SEEN THE RAIN” LIVE ON THE HONDA STAGE
INTERNATIONAL HIT “FLY AWAY” AVAILABLE NOW ON ALL STREAMING PLATFORMS
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| Tones And I, photo Atlantic Records |
Global superstar Tones And I has teamed up with Honda Stage and Billboard to debut a new mini documentary looking back on her beginnings as a busker, the aftermath of her record-breaking hit “Dance Monkey,” and the work that’s gone into completing her long awaited debut album while in quarantine. Furthermore, Tones and I has also shared a pair of live performances from the Honda Stage, delivering new renditions of her international hits “Never Seen The Rain” and “Fly Away.”
Just last month, Tones And I shared moving piano performance of “Fly Away,” which is available on all streaming platforms. The new version, “Fly Away” (RIP King T), finds Tones And I transforming the song into an elegant and poignant ballad, while her soulful vocals burst into bloom backed only by piano. Originally released at the tail end of 2020, “Fly Away” has amassed 90 million streams, marking a new chapter in the global phenom’s already historic career, and serving as a preview to her widely anticipated full-length debut.
Fly Away Alternate Version
Following the launch of “Fly Away” last year, Tones And I also shared an alternate version of the song, enlisting the help of G Flip, The Pierce Brothers, Adrian Eagle, Alice Blake and the Melbourne Gospel Choir for a stunning live rendition. The alternate version of “Fly Away” features an accompanying performance video filmed at Melbourne’s Rod Laver Arena, which sees the ensemble backing Tones And I as they transform the song into a brass-filled gospel anthem. Furthermore, Tones And I also delivered a poignant performance of “Fly Away” on ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel Live!
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| Tones And I |
Elaborating on the track, Tones And I shared, “‘Fly Away’ is about chasing your dreams, reaching your goals and the realities that come with it. 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. It’s about genuine happiness and what we think we need to have happiness versus what we actually want. The truth is we only ever want anything because we think it will make us happy, but it’s never that simple.”
Tones And I wrote “Fly Away” solely whilst quarantining at home in Melbourne during the COVID-19 global pandemic. Co-produced by Tones And I and Dann Hume, the song stands out as one of her most personal, poetic, and powerful compositions. “Fly Away” marks yet another major moment in Tones And I’s unbelievable journey. This past fall, she recruited blackbear for the official remix of her 2020 hit “Ur So F**kInG cOoL,” the single version of which has surpassed 100 million streams globally and broke into the Top 40 radio charts stateside. “Ur So F**kInG cOoL” also follows Tones And I’s standalone tracks “Can’t Be Happy All The Time” and “Bad Child” – the latter of which Tones And I debuted a stripped back piano performance of on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.
Tones And I’s global smash “Dance Monkey” was recently announced as the most Shazamed single of all time, and officially became the 3rd most streamed song of all time on Spotify making the track the most streamed song ever by a female artist on the platform. The “Dance Monkey” official music video is now approaching 1.5 billion views on YouTube, while the track has eclipsed seven billion streams globally and earned 4x platinum certification from the RIAA in the US as well as multiplatinum or diamond certification in sixteen other countries. Plus, “Dance Monkey” hit #4 on Billboard’s Hot 100 chart, making “Dance Monkey” the first top five Hot 100 hit solely written by a woman in over eight years. In Australia, “Dance Monkey” holds the all-time record for the most weeks spent at #1 on the ARIA Singles Chart, while in the UK “Dance Monkey” has made Tones And I the longest running #1 of all time by a female artist on the Official Singles Chart. The New York Times detailed the making of “Dance Monkey” in their Diary of a Song video series, speaking with Tones And I about her journey from local busker to global star.
“Dance Monkey” is featured on Tones And I’s RIAA gold certified debut EP The Kids Are Coming which earned her four major wins back home at last year’s ARIA Awards including: “Breakthrough Artist,” “Best Female Artist,” “Best Pop Release,” and “Best Independent Release.” Following the EP’s release Tones And I showcased her staggering voice across performances of “Dance Monkey” and standout single “Never Seen The Rain,” appearing on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, The Voice, The Ellen DeGeneres Show and The Today Show.
Originally from Australia’s Mornington Peninsula, Tones And I traveled to Byron Bay in early 2018 to take a chance at busking. On the first day she had crowds spilling onto the street. Tones quit her retail job and decided to make Byron her new home where she lived out of her van for a year, honing her songwriting and busking every weekend. A year later, she had one of the biggest songs in the world with her global smash “Dance Monkey.”
