Dance for me, dance for me, dance for me, oh-oh-oh
I’ve never seen anybody do the things you do before
They say
Move for me, move for me, move for me, ayy-ayy-ayy
And when you’re done,
I’ll make you do it all again
If you’re busting into a move immediately after reading these lyrics, then congratulations! You, like all of us, are a big fan of the song Dance Monkey by Tones and I AKA Toni Watson.
This hit number which was released in May 2019, not only broke records but also topped music charts worldwide. The song recorded #1 in over 20 countries, topped the UK singles chart, and reached #5 in the United States.
But does anyone know the story behind this popular song? How did Tones And I become a household name overnight?
Tones And I, who first started uploading songs on YouTube when she was 16 found success when she began busking on the streets of Byron Bay, Australia in 2017.
Her song is about her busking experience. She told NY Times that during one particular night busking, a girl knocked over her keyboard and a guy tried to steal her money. Those encounters helped shape Dance Monkey.
I was getting a little bit bullied by guys who thought I was taking their customers, and it got to the point where I was anxious every time I set up my keyboard. Drunk people came past and yelled profanities at me. The negative was outweighing the positive, but I didn’t want to stop just because people were being horrible.
-The Times
The singer-songwriter wrote this song in 30 minutes. According to her, this part of the song ‘You know you stopped me dead while I was passing by / And now I beg to see you dance just one more time’ is literally about the time when a girl stopped her and asked her to play the song one more time.
The track gained its first bit of success in Australia thanks to support from radio stations like Triple J. After that there was no looking back. The song became a hit around the globe.
Even though the singer-songwriter is an International sensation now, she dosent want to be seen as an overnight sensation. She wants to credit it to years of busking, building her social media following, and creating music that has led her to this point.
In the winter when no when else would busk, in the rain when no one else would be busking, I would be busking. It wasn’t about the money, it was about—no matter what—being able to get more fans.
Toni is a true inspiration and we can’t wait to hear more from her.
You can watch the entire video here :