Toni Watson is an Australian singer, songwriter, and record producer best known by her stage name, Tones and I. Her breakthrough song, “Dancing Monkey,” which peaked at number one in over 30 countries, including Australia, is what made her most famous. With 16 weeks, it surpassed the ARIA record for the most weeks by an artist at the top of their singles chart, which dates back to mid-1983. Midway through January 2020, “Dancing Monkey” spent its 24th and final week at the top, breaking Bing Crosby’s record for the most weeks at the top in Australia with his rendition of “White Christmas,” which peaked for the equivalent of 22 weeks in 1943. “Dancing Monkey” was certified 17× platinum by ARIA for shipments of over 1,190,000 units by mid-2022.
At the 2019 ARIA Music Awards, Tones took home the most prizes, winning four of her eight nominations. The Kids Are Coming, her first extended play, was released on August 30, 2019, and it reached its peak at number three in Australia and the top 10 in a number of other countries. Welcome to the Madhouse, her debut album was published by Bad Batch on July 16, 2021. It entered the ARIA Albums Chart at number one. “Fly Away,” the album’s lead single, reached its highest point at number four in Australia and number eleven in the UK, Denmark, and Ireland.