Australian singer-songwriter and producer Tones and I certainly makes a statement with her full-length debut, Welcome to the Madhouse. On the heels of her smash hit, “Dance Monkey,” which holds the unique distinction of being the most Shazamed song of all time (as of November 2020) and the third-most streamed song in Spotify history. The video for the track has racked up over a billion streams—just crazy numbers for an artist still emerging in the United States.

Tones and I, the stage name of Toni Watson, is a showcase of polar opposites. At times, Welcome to the Madhouse turns toward intricate and heartfelt ballads; then the next moment, it’s a floor-stomping pop banger.

The versatility of Watson’s voice and songcraft is impressive. It’s easy to find the influences in her sound, while the end result is something entirely fresh. The jazzy bounce of the title track is a fitting opener for what’s to come. “Welcome to the madhouse/ You’ve never seen a place like this before,” Watson sings. The song elevates to a shifty bass and drum shuffle as the track hits the chorus. “Lonely” starts as a piano ballad before the percussion kicks in for a mid-tempo groove. The introspective song digs into Watson’s psyche and lack of self-confidence.

“Won’t Sleep” is marked by some trippy percussion mixed with infectious vocal melody and harmonizing effects. The track falls somewhere in the middle on Watson’s spectrum of sound. There’s a little bit of Billie Eilish in the Tones and I sound, but just slightly. “Westside Lobby” is an upbeat but personal track about Watson’s rise to prominence. “Fly Away” also tackles the singer’s struggles with self-confidence and belonging with an upbeat choral sound that evokes some comparison to Ellie Goulding. Watson has an impressive and somewhat surprising sense of soul to her vocals that’s on display on this track.

Things slow down for earnest piano ballad “Sad Songs,” an R&B-tinged slow jam. A full choir joins in at the song’s climax. “Just A Mess” stays in the same lane, but simplifies things to allow Watson’s vocal prowess to lead the way, with the help of a piano and looped beat. The slightly experimental and spacey “Child’s Play” features circus-like synths and big beats. The track is fun departure midway through the record.

“Not Going Home” brings one of the highlights of the album. It starts off as a dramatic ballad with a simple haunting piano accompaniment. Then it ramps up dynamically in the final minutes with a wall of sound, dramatic vocal harmonies and orchestral instrumentation. It’s a phenomenal example of Watson’s potential realized.

The mood turns decidedly chill for the laidback “Dark Waters,” a mid-tempo ballad with heavy synths and spacious beats. “I don’t want to live forever in the sea/ The tide keeps pulling me away from who I used to be,” Watson sings. The percussive rhythms and infectious singalongs of “Cloudy Day” bring the fun, with horns, claps and stomps adding a boost of energy.

Watson digs further into the experimental range on “You Don’t Know My Name,” with Watson singing over a foot-tapping beat that sits nicely in the background. Watson turns back the clock on “Fall Apart,” a laidback soul jam that trades in the synths and production for more traditional instruments. The album closes out with “Bars (RIP T),” a complete left turn from the rest of the album, featuring Watson spitting rhymes over a hip-hop-tinged song.

Welcome to the Madhouse is an impressive debut foray into the pop landscape for a supremely talented artist, one who will certainly find more success in the United States in the years to come.

Follow writer Mike DeWald at Twitter.com/mike_dewald.