Beautifully Ordinary


Beautifully Ordinary is the second studio album by Australian singer and songwriter Tones and I. The album was released on 2 August 2024 through Bad Batch Records. It is a follow-up to her debut project, Welcome to the Madhouse.
At the 2024 ARIA Music Awards, the album was nominated for Best Cover Art, while Tones and I was nominated for Best Solo Artist.

Background

"There was never a theme or tone I aspired to", Tones and I said of recording Beautifully Ordinary. "Each song is a different story, meant for its own moment. Some songs have been inspired by the same life experience, but through a different perspective. Mostly the album presents itself as whatever the listener takes from it. There's an undertone of loneliness, heartbreak, desperation, fear, vulnerability, and triumph ". She added that "the brightest songs have the saddest stories", and noted that nostalgia appears as a recurring theme throughout the record, though unintentionally, reflecting how the past continues to shape who she is today. Beautifully Ordinary serves as her sophomore album, following her debut Welcome to the Madhouse. Describing the project as "a way of embracing who I am", she noted that her refusal to conform in her career may have been behind both her rapid rise and decline. Yet, she acknowledged that staying true to herself has ultimately allowed her to feel stronger and more at ease with where she stands today.
In discussing the recording of the album, Tones and I explained that she did not set out with a specific theme or tone for the album. Instead, each track was written as a distinct story intended for its own moment. Some songs were inspired by the same life experience but approached from different perspectives. She added that the album is open to interpretation by the listener, though it carries undertones of loneliness, heartbreak, desperation, fear, vulnerability, and moments of triumph.

Promotion

The album was announced on 17 June 2024, and will be supported by an Australian and New Zealand tour, commencing in August 2024.

Singles

Beautifully Ordinary was preceded by four singles. "Dreaming" was released on 2 February 2024. Upon release, Tones and I said "'Dreaming is the first song from my upcoming album. I maintain my integrity in my stories, which always come from a genuine place of love, loss, and hope. I have found myself subconsciously writing about things I've never written about before." "I Get High" was released on 12 March 2024. Upon release, Tones and I said "'I Get High' is about the nostalgia of growing up with friends. Sneaking out and enjoying our youth, looking back and reminiscing about the people that were and are in your life, that make you feel alive. There is magic in this song." "Wonderful" was released on 17 May 2024. Tones and I said the song is "About a very close person in my life. I wanted to let them know just how incredible they were, at times where they may have felt like they weren't good enough." The album's fourth single, "Dance With Me" was released on 17 June 2024, the same day as the album was announced. "To Be Loved" was added to radio on 2 August 2024 as the album's fifth single.

Reception

Josh Sharpe from Broadway World said "Co-produced by Tones and I and featuring her as the sole writer on nearly every song, this album captures her artistic evolution and personal growth, blending her distinctive vocal style with vulnerable storytelling." Zoë Radas from JB Hi-Fis Stack Magazine said "There are fewer of the caricatures she previously used as veils on debut LP Welcome to the Madhouse, and far more from-the-heart ripsnorters which reveal her to be a deft hand at communicating heartbreak, loneliness and real inner growth."

Track listing

Note
  • signifies an additional producer.

Personnel

Musicians
  • Tones and I – lead vocals
  • Randy Belculfine – synthesizer ; keyboards, piano, guitar, percussion, additional strings, Mellotron, bass, organ, clavinet, strings
  • Choir Collective – choir
  • Liz Webber – choir direction
  • Tonion – strings
  • Xander – strings
  • Kara-Lee James – background vocals
  • Sam Plummer – guitar
  • Belle Bangard – background vocals, vocal direction
  • Austin Corona – effects keyboards ; bass, drums
  • Rick Nowels – piano
  • Angelia Panteli – background vocals
  • Jayden Miranda – background vocals
  • Randy Lilomaiava – background vocals
  • Soli Tesema – background vocals
  • Tino Tusitala – background vocals
  • Patrick Warren – strings
  • David Francisco – bass
  • Dave Levita – guitar
Technical

Charts

Year-end charts