Tones And I moves on from online bullying: ‘I want young girls and boys to know I’m a tough person’
Singer-songwriter Tones And I wants her fans to know she’s moved on from a brief dark period last year, but while she’s now in a good place, she’s also not about to sugar-coat the realities of fame and success.
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Chart topper Tones And I wants the world to know she is doing just fine.
At the time her song Dance Monkey was becoming a global hit Tones And I (Toni Watson) revealed in November she was dealing with online bullying and even death threats.
“I’ve felt really good since December,” Watson told News Corp. “The things that happened to me last year, the crazy ups and the crazy downs, the quick rise, that’s something that not only doesn’t usually happen to other artists, it doesn’t happen to human beings in general.
“I came to a point where I felt I wasn’t good enough, I’m not good enough to play a festival, I’m a busker. Then I started to realise I am good enough because who the f--- would deal with that?
“So at the end of last year I decided I wasn’t going to let anything bother me anymore. It’s easy for people to keep holding on to this ‘Tones is upset’ thing that happened in November, when I was just trying to speak out and be honest, but I want people to know I’m fine and I’m not upset. That was last year, let’s move on. I’m not allowed to be powerful? I’m not allowed to be tough? I’m not allowed to be resilient? People keep writing about me being weak and timid and scared — that’s bullsh--. I’m bigger than that, I’m tough, I’m fine. I want young females and males to know I’m a tough person and they can look up to me because I’m strong.”
Dance Monkey, released a year ago this week, spent 24 weeks at No.1 in Australia, 11 weeks at No.1 in the UK and peaked at No.4 in the US. It is the most streamed song ever by a female on Spotify (with over 1.5 billion streams) and is about to clock up one billion views on You Tube.
Tones And I will perform at today’s Recharge 2020 live stream event, along with Missy Higgins, Archie Roach, The Black Sorrows, The Pierce Brothers, Wagons, The Jezabels and more, from midday at the Delivered Live You Tube page.
Watson also revealed she has written two songs with her musical hero, Macklemore.
“That’s the biggest thing that’s ever happened to me, meeting Macklemore. He stayed and watched my show in Seattle. He ended up asking me to come back to Seattle and wanted to record with me, we wrote two songs together. From when I got there to when I left he was like a big brother.
“I’ve said no to absolutely every collaboration offer, and there’s been a lot because I don’t want a hand-out right now, I also don’t want anyone to think I’m a feature artist on a rapper’s track, it’s really important to me I show my songwriting abilities first. But obviously Macklemore would be the exception. I’m so glad I waited, I can’t believe my first collaboration is with Macklemore.”
The rapper has earmarked one song for his new album, with Watson hoping the other will land on her debut album, which is due in August.
Watson has used her time in isolation to finesse the record.
“I was meant to finish my album while I was touring around the world. I was only meant to be in Australia for maybe four or five weeks this year. So having this time off has really given me more of a chance to work on my album.
“If you’re so busy it’s so easy to say ‘that’ll do’. I didn’t want to do that. It’s given me time to thoroughly think about decisions I’ve made in the past. Some of these songs are from when I was busking, I wrote them before Dance Monkey and Johnny Run Away, really dissect them and take things I’ve learned recently and mix it in with the stuff I used to do before all of this.”
Watson has just released a video for new single Can’t Be Happy All The Time, which is her statement on the downsides of instant success and fame.
“It seems strange when an artist decides to be so raw and real about it, it’s me telling myself you can’t be happy all the time and success is not everything, you have to learn you want to be loved and love other people and have good friends around you and laugh and be healthy and happy. That’s what I had to tell myself.
“When I achieved success I had told myself I’d be the happiest person in the world. That’s just not how it happens. Everyone thinks it will be glamorous but it’s really not. I went on the Ellen show, I felt amazing, but once you see how it quickly it’s all done it takes all the wonder you had about the TV and movie industry. Once you’re on the inside it’s just about doing your job, all the things you dreamt about and you thought were unobtainable, then you get them and you see the reality of it, there’s no oh my God factor anymore.”
Watson says the song has been misinterpreted as her complaining about fame.
“I never intended on being famous, I’m not saying I hate it, but I’m not happy all the time. Neither is anyone else. If we wake up and feel a bit flat, that’s fine. That’s what the song is about. I’ve never released songs that are so honest or ‘me’. I’ve been hesitant to release songs about me, my fans completely relate to that song. If you don’t relate to it, just scroll on. I’m not complaining about being famous, but I’m not going to shove lollipops and rainbows in your face and sing about sunshine. I’m going to be honest because that’s what an artist does. The most artistic thing I’ve ever done is let my guard down and be vulnerable.”
The Recharge 2020 Festival will feature live, in studio electric performances from all the artists (not filmed at home or one phones) and is presented by the team behind Delivered Live, who have already raised over $400,000 for musicians and crews currently out of work.
Recharge will have over 100 virtual regional Victorian Country Markets, viewers can buy items which will be delivered by road crew who have lost their incomes since COVID-19 restrictions went into place.
RECHARGE PLAYING TIMES
12.30pm: Thando
1.30pm: Hannah Blackburn
2.30pm: Ainsley Wills
3.30pm: Fanny Lumsden
4.40pm: Dallas Frasca
5.30pm: Wagons
6.15pm: Archie Roach
7.10pm: The Black Sorrows
7.50pm: The Jezabels
8.25pm: Tones And I
9.05pm: Missy Higgins
9.40pm: Pierce Brothers