Dance Monkey by Tones and I

Every New Zealand #1 single…

Dance Monkey by Tones and I

Topped the NZ chart for 11 (non-consecutive) weeks from 9 September 2019.

Tones and I

Toni Watson grew up in Melbourne. She busked after learning to play keyboards and drum pads. When she was made redundant from her retail job, she concentrated on busking. She spent her redundancy money on an RC300 [loop station.

Dance Monkey

‘Dance Monkey’ reflects Watson’s experience as a street performer.

“I wrote this song when I was busking, and about the pressure that I felt to always be entertaining people on the street. And if they didn’t like it, when they looked at their phones they could just click something else; … we are all so used to being entertained at the click of a button.”

“So when you’re [busking] on the street, .. to command [your] attention, people would be like: ‘again! again!’ .. ‘more! more!’ .. or they would just leave. So if you replace [the lyric]: ‘dance for me, dance for me’ with ‘sing for me, sing for me,’ it’s pretty literal”
Toni Watson, NovaFM

In Australia, it’s the longest-running #1 single ever, topping the charts for 24 weeks. It’s the most Shazammed song ever, and the longest-running chart topper by a female artist in the UK.

My Verdict

New Zealand’s first number one hit of the 2020s might also be the most annoying.

I loathe that song a lot of the time. A lot of times I don’t want to sing it.
Tones and I, Smallzy’s Surgery

The song is ingratiatingly simplistic, but the biggest problem might be Watson’s vocal affectations. She uses a raspy baby voice, like a second-rate Miss Piggy.

The Aftermath

It’s tough maintaining a respectable career after such a gimmicky start. Watson’s second album, 2024’s Beautifully Ordinary, also topped the Australian charts, but she’s had little subequent success elsewhere.

NZ #1 hits

5 Comments

Badfinger (Max)

April 6, 2026 / 4:37 am Reply

That was different…it was worth reading and listening to just to read your description “second-rate Miss Piggy”
- Aphoristical
  
  April 6, 2026 / 9:10 pm Reply
  
  Had you heard it before! It’s pretty hard to avoid with school-aged kids, as it’s kind of a kids song, with a simple tune and lyrics about monkeys.
  - Badfinger (Max)
    
    April 11, 2026 / 9:40 am Reply
    
    No I never heard this before…yea it’s catchy no doubt!
    - Aphoristical
      
      April 12, 2026 / 9:13 am Reply
      
      Lucky! It’s kind of become a kids standard, almost, there’s a “Kidzbop” version with smoother vocals that’s a bit better, but still extremely irritating. Always a fine line between a great earworm and a terrible one.
      - Badfinger (Max)
        
        April 12, 2026 / 10:11 am
        
        You brought back a memory…Kidzbop…I haven’t heard that name in a long time. I agree with you….a very fine line.
        The song Sugar Sugar….I’ve seen music lovers love that song….and some hate it.