Tones and I shares sad truth about who had her back when she became famous

The intensely private Tones and I opened up to a room full of strangers after a secret gig at the Australian Open.

Aussie singer Tones and I had some cheeky advice for brands struggling to connect with young consumers via social media when she performed at a secret pop-up gig at the Australian Open.

“If you think TikTok doesn’t matter to you, you need to get some younger staff and a new marketing team,” the pop superstar told the largely corporate crowd at the intimate gig.

“And I don’t want to do it either. When I thought TikTok was going to be banned, I was like ‘Yes! The pressure’s off,’ but no, here it is still, and I’ll probably make a video after I leave.”

After a surprise “priceless” performance at the MasterCard suite to powerbrokers including entrepreneur Ruslan Kogan, the intensely private artist gave a revelatory talk about how the video social media platform had bolstered her confidence to share more of her life with fans.

Tones and I knocked it out of the park with her powerful vocals at the MasterCard suite at the Australian Open. Picture: Supplied / MasterCard

Tones told the intimate audience after Dance Monkey blew up worldwide, she fiercely protected her privacy as she suffered relentless attacks on social media due to her success.

As she has won back fans with her compelling live performances and powerful, versatile voice, particularly during her opening slots on last year’s Pink stadium tour, she said she felt stronger to talk about “who I am.”

“My personal life was very private, because I didn’t want them to dig into who I was and tear that down … and in the last year, I’ve come to a place where I’m so much more confident, not only in being who I am and talking about who I am, but helping other younger artists,” she said.

“It took me a bit of time to establish myself as someone that my bigger purpose may be to help younger artists.

Tones shocked the audience when she shared not many female artists had shown support. Picture: Supplied / MasterCard

But she drew audible gasps, with her response when asked if other Australian artists had reached out to her as she soared to the top of the global charts. She is the first woman in the world to achieve more than three billion Spotify streams for a song.

Tones cited rapper Illy, hip hop heroes Hilltop Hoods, electronic stars Peking Duk and American superstar Macklemore as among those who had reached out to support her as she navigated her overnight fame.

“But in terms of females, no,” she said. “But that’s okay. I didn’t specifically need female help, I didn’t ask for any help. (Artists) just reached out.”

After a brief pause, she cited Amy Shark and Jessica Mauboy as two female artists who had supported her.

“I feel like Amy Shark has been always such a great support. She’s someone who is above it all and she just wants everyone to be okay. I would say Amy Shark has always just got such good intentions. And Jessica Mauboy is so nice.”

She then lightened the serious moment by joking “And honestly, that’s the whole industry. It’s a very small industry, so everyone!”

Tones and I with husband Jimmy Bedford watched most of the Men's Final. Picture: Tennis Australia / FIONA HAMILTON

While Tones shared how nervous she gets in the spotlight when it’s not just about singing, she proved to be a natural comedian during the MasterCard appearance ahead of the men’s final on Sunday, where she sat front row with husband Jimmy Bedford for the match.

She joked about how she “stays down to earth” despite being one of Australia’s biggest musical exports, saying most of her team probably wouldn’t tell her if she was being a diva “because they’re all on my payroll.”

“Even my husband’s on the sound desk. I don’t know if I have anyone I can trust! No, I’m just kidding,” she said.

The superstar captivated the guests with her soaring vocals on acoustic versions of the Gnarls Barkley hit Crazy, her favourite hit Fly Away and a reimagined jazz-style version of Dance Monkey.

Originally published as Tones and I shares sad truth about who had her back when she became famous