Bad Child is the latest release from singer-songwriter Tones and I, and this hot new act already holds some impressive accolades that you might not be aware of.

For example, did you know that Tones and I hold the record of the most ‘Shazam’ed’ single of all time, with ‘Dance Monkey’. There is a lot of interest and hype associated with this new and exciting Australian artist, who can also boast a multi-platinum single. This all shows Tones’ journey has come a long way from her busking days of 2018 in the historic Byron Bay. 

Of Bad Child, Tones says that she ‘always wanted to write from someone else's shoes’, which puts this track into a whole new creative territory for her. The song brings in her characteristic voice, which is really different, fresh, innocent and quirky which moves smoothly over the melody before a break takes you straight away into something really different that works as a bridge before the main chorus. The change is stark, but clever as it allows us to hear a rhythmic lead that transitions us beautifully into a powerful chorus. These changes are well crafted and give the song a real sense of purpose. When you’re about halfway through you’re already in the groove of the song, and you know what’s coming; it has the familiarity that great songs often do. The music that sits behind the powerful vocal and melody is very straightforward, it allows us to hear the intricate melody and overdubbed backing that lifts the song and forces you to listen to the very interesting lyrics. 

As a first attempt at writing from someone else's perspective, this is a triumpfort effort. The song is delicate and powerful at the same time. Subtle instrumentation and breaks and changes allow the song to move you easily through each section and give the lyrics a real presence in the final production. The distinctive voice that Tones and I possess means that ‘Bad Child’ will be a song that you will listen to again and again.

 Singer-songwriter 

Author: Phil Arnold

Phil Arnold is a musician, producer and music reviewer from Devon, in the South West of England. Whilst not writing music reviews, Phil also writes and records under the name of Ugbrooke.