Toni Watson Biography

Toni Watson’s professional music career began in February 2019, when she signed with Bad Batch Records/Sony Music Australia. Shortly after, she uploaded her debut single ‘Johnny Run Away’ to Unearthed, an Australian website that publishes music of unsigned artists. In a short time, the single became a viral sensation. The single peaked at the 12th position on the Australian charts and at the 83rd position on the Irish charts.

In May 2019, she released her second single, ‘Dance Monkey’. It was a big hit and earned much appreciation from the fans. It was also praised by the critics. It topped the singles charts in many countries, including Australia, China, Estonia, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Ireland, New Zealand, Portugal, Spain, Switzerland and UK. It also holds the record for spending the most weeks on the first position on the Australian Singles chart. It reached a billion streams on Spotify, making it the second Australian single to have achieved this.

Toni Watson’s popularity reached new heights with the song, and on 18th November, 2019, she appeared on the US TV show ‘The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon’, where she performed the song. She was seen the next week on ‘The Voice’. Shortly after, ‘Dance Monkey’ also entered the US Billboard Hot 100, reaching the fourth position.

Her third single was ‘Never Seen the Rain’, which was released in July 2019. It reached the top ten charts in two countries, Australia and New Zealand. However, it was not as successful as her previous work.

Around the same time, she released her debut extended play, ‘The Kids are Coming’, which consisted of six singles, including ‘The Kids are Coming’, ‘Dance Monkey’, ‘Colourblind’, ‘Johnny Run Away’, ‘Jimmy’, and ‘Never Seen the Rain’. At the ARIA Music Awards of 2019, it won the ARIA Award for Best Independent Release. It performed well on various charts. It reached the 3rd position on the Australian Albums charts, the 10th position on the Canadian Albums chart, the 19th position on the Finnish Albums chart, the 9th position on the Latvian Albums chart, and the 15th position on the Swedish Albums chart. It also charted on the US Billboard 200 at the 30th position.

Toni Watson was born and raised in Mornington Peninsula, in Victoria, Australia, on August 15, 2000.

She learnt to play the keyboards and drum pads when she was still in secondary school. She also created a YouTube channel to post her music, and she also performed at local gigs and festivals before she launched her professional career.

Toni Watson, also known as Tones and I, used to work as a street performer before she rose to fame, showcasing her talent to passersby on the streets of Australia.

She holds the record for the longest-running number one single by a female artist on the ARIA Singles Chart with her hit song "Dance Monkey."

Tones and I taught herself how to play the keyboard by watching YouTube tutorials, showing her dedication to her craft and passion for music.

Despite her quick rise to stardom, Toni Watson remains humble and down-to-earth, often emphasizing the importance of staying true to oneself in the music industry.

She is known for her unique and energetic dance moves during her live performances, adding an extra element of fun and excitement to her shows.