"Bad Child"
Double A-side cover
Single by Tones and I
from the album Welcome to the Madhouse
Released12 March 2020 (2020-03-12)
Length3:41
Label
Songwriter(s)Toni Watson
Producer(s)
Tones and I singles chronology
"The Kids Are Coming"
(2019)		 "Bad Child" / "Can't Be Happy All the Time"
(2020)		 "Ur So F**king Cool"
(2020)
Lyric video
"Bad Child" on YouTube

"Bad Child" is a song by Australian singer Toni Watson, known professionally as Tones and I. It was released on 12 March 2020 through Bad Batch Records, distributed by Sony Music in Australia and New Zealand and globally by Elektra Records, alongside the song "Can't Be Happy All the Time". The double A-side single marks the first of more releases throughout the year, as announced by Watson.[1]

At the APRA Music Awards of 2021, the song was shortlisted for Song of the Year.[2]

Background

On 11 March 2020, Watson announced that there would be new music coming the next day.[3] The song's release, along with "Can't Be Happy All the Time", was accompanied by an animated lyric video. The singer revealed that, for the first time, she has written a song "in someone else's shoes; writing from their perspective".[4] She further explained that the song is about "seeing life growing up through someone else's eyes".[5]

Music Video

The live action music video was produced by Visible Studios, Directed by Nick Kozakis and Liam Kelly, and released on 9 April 2020. The video features a young boy 'Jimmy' falling into a confusing dream world where he looks back at past traumas, before ultimately being rescued by 'Young Tones'.

Critical reception

Debbie Carr of Triple J felt "Bad Child" was a trademark Tones and I song with Watson's "fingerprints all over it", and favourably compared the lyrical content to "Johnny Run Away".[6] On the other hand, Lars Brandle of Billboard thought the track with its "punchy keys and fat bass, all sitting under Tones' powerhouse vocals" was reminiscent of Watson's previous hit "Dance Monkey".[7] Idolator's Mike Wass called the song a "bop" and predicted it to be "all over radio in a couple of months". Based on the song title, he described the song to be "introspective and tinged with sadness".[8]

Track listing

All tracks are written by Toni Watson

No.TitleLength
1."Bad Child"3:41
2."Can't Be Happy All the Time"4:16

Personnel

Credits adapted from Tidal.[9]

Charts

Certifications

Region CertificationCertified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)[20] 3× Platinum 210,000‡
Poland (ZPAV)[21] Gold 25,000‡

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

References

  1. ↑ Jenke, Tyler (12 March 2020). "Tones And I Releases New Singles "Bad Child" and "Can't Be Happy All the Time"". Rolling Stone Australia. Retrieved 12 March 2020.
  2. ↑ "One of these songs will be the Peer-Voted APRA Song of the Year!". APRA AMCOS. 3 February 2021. Retrieved 26 April 2022.
  3. ↑ "New music coming tomorrow.... Camera with flash by Giulia McGauran". Retrieved 12 March 2020 – via Twitter.
  4. ↑ Rose, Anna (12 March 2020). "Tones And I shares two new singles". NME. Retrieved 12 March 2020.
  5. ↑ English, Laura (12 March 2020). "Tones And I Has Released Two New Singles". Music Feeds. Retrieved 12 March 2020.
  6. ↑ Carr, Debbie (12 March 2020). "Tones and I releases first new music since debut EP". Triple J. Retrieved 12 March 2020.
  7. ↑ Brandle, Lars (12 March 2020). "Tones And I Returns With "Bad Child" and "Can't Be Happy All The Time": Listen". Billboard. Retrieved 12 March 2020.
  8. ↑ Wass, Mike (12 March 2020). "Tones And I Drops New Songs "Bad Child" & "You Can't Be Happy All The Time"". Idolator. Retrieved 12 March 2020.
  9. ↑ "Bad Child/Can't Be Happy All the Time / Tones and I – Tidal". Tidal. Retrieved 13 March 2020.
  10. ↑ "Tones and I – Bad Child". ARIA Top 50 Singles. Retrieved 6 December 2020.
  11. ↑ "ČNS IFPI" (in Czech). Hitparáda – Radio Top 100 Oficiální. IFPI Czech Republic. Note: Change the chart to CZ – RADIO – TOP 100 and insert 202019 into search. Retrieved 11 May 2020.
  12. ↑ "Tones and I: Chart History – Hot Canadian Digital Song Sales". Billboard. Retrieved 9 June 2020.
  13. ↑ "Tónlistinn – Lög" [The Music – Songs] (in Icelandic). Plötutíðindi. Archived from the original on 26 November 2020. Retrieved 5 July 2021.
  14. ↑ "NZ Hot Singles Chart". Recorded Music NZ. 23 March 2020. Retrieved 21 March 2020.
  15. ↑ "Tones and I – Bad Child". VG-lista. Retrieved 6 December 2020.
  16. ↑ "Tones and I – Bad Child". Singles Top 100. Retrieved 6 December 2020.
  17. ↑ "Tones and I – Bad Child". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved 23 March 2020.
  18. ↑ "Tones And I Chart History (Hot Rock & Alternative Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved 9 June 2020.
  19. ↑ "ARIA Top 100 Singles for 2020". Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved 15 January 2021.
  20. ↑ "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2021 Singles" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved 3 February 2022.
  21. ↑ "Wyróżnienia – Złote płyty CD - Archiwum - Przyznane w 2021 roku" (in Polish). Polish Society of the Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 11 October 2021.
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