Tones and I at the Barwon Heads Hotel
Photo by Takoda Ritchie
I have seen Tones and I perform live twice before her October 9th show at The Barwon Heads Hotel, but this performance made me feel like I was seeing her for the first time. I don’t need to write about this artist’s breakneck rise to fame with her 2019 hit ‘Dance Monkey’ that became the longest running number one track in ARIA chart history, as I’m sure anyone who has listened to a radio once in the past five years would know. These first few moments of stardom were not the end of the story for Tones and I. The now 32-year-old has continued grow and aspire to, an artistic level of excellence and continues to surpass musical expectations.
The first and most apparent manifestation of Tones and I’s transformation is her physical glow up. Another journalist may comment on her apparent weight loss, flawless hair and perfect skin, but there is one part of Toni’s presentation that surpasses all these superficial achievements. Her confidence. No longer the tracksuit wearing, face hiding 26-year-old we witnessed in her busking days and ‘Dance Monkey’ era, Tones and I has grown into herself and her artistry, proving, especially to her many young female fans, that loving yourself looks good!
Another evident development to Tones and I’s performance which elevates her music to incredible new heights is her newfound control and care with her voice. At a performance I attended in 2022 at Geelong’s Mount Duneed Estate, the first few songs of her set were powerful and showcased the unique voice that has become synonymous with her performance. However, her voice and body were noticeably exhausted by the last few songs in her set. While this unique, bright, cursive-esque voice was, and still is, a cornerstone of her music and brand, she was not executing it in a way that was sustainable in the long term or even for a set. However, the Tones and I that I witnessed at The Barwon Heads Hotel this month had no such problem.
After clearly undergoing some vocal coaching, she now performs that same iconic Tones and I style sound in a healthier and more educated way, and perhaps with a little more of a jazzy colour, which was put on display in her cover of ‘Crazy’ by Gnarls Barkley. By utilizing vocal techniques such as twang, retraction and cricothyroid tilt, she performs more creative and controlled vocal runs and vocally thrive during long performances. An incredible improvement to an already spectacular voice.
The one thing that has not changed about Tones and I is the deep care and respect she has for her fans. In interviews she has spoken about this whiplash she felt after her sudden rise to fame after ‘Dance Monkey’ and not knowing where she, a 26-year-old retail sales assistant from Frankston, fitted in the glamorous world of Hollywood glitz and glamour. Five years on, it seems she has decided that whatever level of money or fame she attains will never change her down-to-earth Ausie larrikin nature and sarcastic style of songwriting. What a beautiful role model for the young Australian women that look up to her. The kind and welcoming fan base who were so happy and supportive of her, cutting out paper love hearts to hold up, created a community energy that made me wish I was a part of it. A kind-hearted fanbase, no doubt inspired by the loving, gracious and down-to-earth energy of Tones and I herself.