Welcome to the Madhouse

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Welcome to the Madhouse
Studio album by
Released16 July 2021
GenrePop[1]
Length46:29
Label
Producer
Tones and I chronology
The Kids Are Coming
(2019)
Welcome to the Madhouse
(2021)
Singles from Welcome to the Madhouse
  1. "Fly Away"
    Released: 13 November 2020
  2. "Won't Sleep"
    Released: 14 May 2021
  3. "Cloudy Day"
    Released: 10 June 2021
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[2]
The Arts Desk[1]
The AU Review[3]
The Guardian[4]
The Sydney Morning Herald[5]
Sputnikmusic0.5/5[6]

Welcome to the Madhouse is the debut studio album by Australian singer and songwriter Tones and I, released on 16 July 2021 through Bad Batch Records. The album debuted at number 1 on the ARIA Charts.

At the 2021 ARIA Music Awards, the album was nominated for Album of the Year and Best Artist, while Giulia Giannini McGauran & Mitchell Eaton were nominated for Best Cover Art for their work on this album.[7] At the J Awards of 2021, the album was nominated for Australian Album of the Year.[8]

Background[edit]

Welcome to the Madhouse is Watson's debut album,[9] and her first body of work since her debut EP The Kids Are Coming (2019), which featured the commercially successful single "Dance Monkey".[10] In an interview with MTV News, she said the album would be predominantly self-produced, saying: "These songs are completely me and my own production. It's not swayed by other songwriters or by anyone that's trying to help me get a hit, because that's never been important to me."[10]

Watson chose to add five additional songs to the record as a result of having spare time to do so. She stated: "I've taken the time to just really make sure it's what I want. And I want to add more music to the album. It will be my first ever album, so I really want to make sure I'm proud of it."[11]

Recording[edit]

Watson began recording for her debut album in early 2020, before suffering delays as a result of the Stage Four lockdown in Melbourne, which was enforced due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[12] Elaborating in an interview about the recording sessions, Watson stated:

"I couldn't record a lot of the time in Melbourne; I wasn't allowed to leave the house. The music I wrote before I had to stop, because of the really intense lockdown, was really weird! I wrote this song called "Welcome to the Madhouse"; I just wrote three or four really weird songs, that I'd never written like that before. I explained it like trying to pull inspiration from living Groundhog Day over and over again!"[12]

She went on to finish recording for the album following the end of the lockdown.[9]

Release[edit]

On 25 February 2020, Billboard revealed that Watson was finalising her debut album.[13]

On 1 September 2020, Watson revealed details of her forthcoming album on an online press conference, stating that she planned to release the album sometime in the forthcoming two to three months. She'd initially intended to release the album in August of that year.[14]

On 13 November 2020, in an interview accompanying the premiere of "Fly Away" on Triple J's Breakfast with Bryce Mills, Watson revealed that the single was the first from her debut album.[12]

On 13 May 2021, alongside the worldwide premiere of "Won't Sleep" on Triple J's Hobba & Hing, Watson confirmed the album and shared its title.[9] She revealed the album's release date on 7 June 2021.[15]

Promotion[edit]

Singles[edit]

Welcome to the Madhouse was preceded by three singles. "Fly Away" was released as the album's lead single on 13 November 2020[16][17] and peaked at number 4 on the ARIA Singles Chart.[18] "Won't Sleep" was released as the album's second single on 14 May 2021[19] and peaked at number 77 on the ARIA Singles Chart.[20] "Cloudy Day" was released as the album's third single on 10 June 2021[21] and peaked at number 31 on the ARIA Singles Chart.[22]

Track listing[edit]

All tracks are written by Toni Watson.

Welcome to the Madhouse track listing
No.TitleProducer(s)Length
1."Welcome to the Madhouse"
2:36
2."Lonely"
  • Watson
  • Belculfine
3:44
3."Won't Sleep"
  • Watson
  • Belculfine
3:17
4."Westside Lobby"
  • Watson
  • Capi
3:39
5."Fly Away"
  • Watson
  • Hume
2:58
6."Sad Songs"
  • Watson
  • Belculfine
3:14
7."Just a Mess"
  • Watson
  • Belculfine
3:51
8."Child's Play"
  • Watson
  • Belculfine
3:39
9."Not Going Home"
  • Watson
  • Hume
3:31
10."Dark Waters"3:34
11."Cloudy Day"
  • Watson
  • Hume
3:05
12."You Don't Know My Name"
  • Watson
  • Hume
  • Belculfine
3:14
13."Fall Apart"
  • Watson
  • Hume
4:08
14."Bars (RIP T)"
  • Watson
  • Belculfine
1:59
Total length:46:29
Japanese edition bonus tracks[23]
No.TitleProducer(s)Length
15."Fly Away" (Jonas Blue Remix)
  • Watson
  • Hume
  • Jonas Blue
3:13
16."Ur So F**king Cool" (Top of the Pops Radio Edit 2021)
2:53
Total length:52:47
Deluxe edition bonus tracks – The Kids Are Coming
No.TitleProducer(s)Length
15."The Kids Are Coming"Watson3:24
16."Dance Monkey"Kersting3:29
17."Colourblind"Watson3:26
18."Johnny Run Away"Kersting3:12
19."Jimmy"Kersting3:43
20."Never Seen the Rain"Kersting3:20

Personnel[edit]

Credits are based on the deluxe version track listing.

  • Toni Watson – vocals, all instruments
  • Andrei Eremin – mastering
  • Dann Humemixing (tracks 1, 4, 5, 9, 11–13), programming (5)
  • Randy Belculfine – mixing (2, 3, 6–8, 14, 15), engineering (1–3, 6–8, 11–15)
  • Konstantin Kersting – mixing (10, 16, 18–20), engineering (16, 18–20)
  • Kenny Harmon – mixing, engineering (17)
  • Daniel Frizza – engineering (1, 2, 6, 11)
  • Richard Stolz – engineering (1, 4, 9, 10)
  • Garrett Kato – vocal engineering (16)
  • The Cho1r – choir (1, 2, 6)

Charts[edit]

Weekly charts[edit]

Chart performance for Welcome to the Madhouse
Chart (2021) Peak
position
Australian Albums (ARIA)[24] 1
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[25] 124
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia)[26] 140
Canadian Albums (Billboard)[27] 36
French Albums (SNEP)[28] 107
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[29] 81
New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)[30] 38
Norwegian Albums (VG-lista)[31] 39
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[32] 87
US Billboard 200[33] 144

Year-end charts[edit]

Chart (2021) Position
Australian Artist Albums (ARIA)[34] 27

Certifications[edit]

Certifications for Welcome to the Madhouse
Region Certification Certified units/sales
Canada (Music Canada)[35] 2× Platinum 160,000

Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Release history[edit]

Release history and formats for Welcome to the Madhouse
Region Date Format Label Catalogue Ref.
Various 16 July 2021 Not applicable [36]
Australia CD 19439888152 [37]
LP 19439888151 [38]
LP (JB Hi-Fi exclusive orange edition) 19439888171 [39]
New Zealand CD Bad Batch 19439888152 [40]
LP 19439888151 [41]
LP (JB Hi-Fi exclusive orange edition) 19439888171 [42]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b Green, Thomas H (10 July 2021). "Album: Tones and I – Welcome to the Madhouse – jaunty pop with attitude". The Arts Desk. Retrieved 20 July 2021.
  2. ^ Welcome to the Madhouse at AllMusic
  3. ^ Marshall, Dylan (16 July 2021). "Album of the Week: Tones And I – Welcome to the Madhouse (2021 LP)". The AU Review. Retrieved 20 July 2021.
  4. ^ D'Souza, Shaad (16 July 2021). "Tones and I: Welcome to the Madhouse review – a disappointing pastiche of pop trends". The Guardian. Retrieved 20 July 2021.
  5. ^ Boulton, Martin (16 July 2021). "Tones and I proves she's no one-hit wonder with debut album". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 20 July 2021.
  6. ^ "Review: Tones and I - Welcome to the Madhouse". Sputnikmusic. Retrieved 16 August 2021.
  7. ^ Kelly, Vivienne (20 October 2021). "ARIA Awards nominees revealed: Amy Shark & Genesis Owusu lead the charge". The Music Network. Archived from the original on 20 October 2021. Retrieved 24 October 2021.
  8. ^ Kelly, Vivienne (1 November 2021). "Triple j reveals J Awards nominees". The Music Network. Retrieved 1 November 2021.
  9. ^ a b c Fuamoli, Sose (14 May 2021). "Tones and I returns with new spooky single 'Won't Sleep' and lets slip album name". Triple J. Archived from the original on 14 May 2021. Retrieved 14 May 2021.
  10. ^ a b Roth, Madeline (23 April 2020). "Tones and I is making her most honest music, and it's nothing like 'Dance Monkey'". MTV News. Archived from the original on 24 April 2020. Retrieved 14 May 2021.
  11. ^ Lochrie, Conor (1 September 2020). "Tones and I holds virtual conference, discusses upcoming debut album". Tone Deaf. Archived from the original on 13 May 2021. Retrieved 14 May 2021.
  12. ^ a b c Fuamoli, Sose (13 November 2020). "First Spin: Tones and I returns with a spirited new track in 'Fly Away'". Triple J. Archived from the original on 13 November 2020. Retrieved 14 May 2021.
  13. ^ Frank, Alex (25 February 2021). "For Tones and I, pop stardom was never part of the plan". Billboard. Archived from the original on 25 February 2021. Retrieved 14 May 2021.
  14. ^ Rose, Anna (1 September 2020). "Tones and I says her debut album might be out in two to three months' time". NME Australia. Archived from the original on 24 November 2020. Retrieved 14 May 2021.
  15. ^ @tonesandimusic (8 June 2021). "MY FIRST ALBUM "Welcome To The Madhouse" is out July 16 and I have a new single 'Cloudy Day' coming this week..." (Tweet). Retrieved 8 June 2021 – via Twitter.
  16. ^ Jenke, Tyler (13 November 2020). "Tones and I returns with new single, 'Fly Away'". Rolling Stone Australia. Archived from the original on 13 November 2020. Retrieved 14 May 2021.
  17. ^ Gallagher, Alex (15 April 2021). "Watch Tones and I perform 'Fly Away' in a vineyard on 'Ellen'". Music Feeds. Archived from the original on 14 April 2021. Retrieved 14 May 2021.
  18. ^ "ARIA Top 50 Singles for week of 8 February 2021". Australian Recording Industry Association. 6 February 2021. Archived from the original on 24 February 2021. Retrieved 14 May 2021.
  19. ^ Triscari, Caleb (11 May 2021). "Tones And I announces new single 'Won't Sleep'". NME Australia. Archived from the original on 11 May 2021. Retrieved 14 May 2021.
  20. ^ "The ARIA Report: Week Commencing 24 May 2021". The ARIA Report. No. 1629. Australian Recording Industry Association. 24 May 2021. p. 4.
  21. ^ Kreps, Daniel (10 June 2021). "Tones and I Announces Debut Album 'Welcome to the Madhouse'". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 10 June 2021.
  22. ^ "The ARIA Report: Week Commencing 21 June 2021". The ARIA Report. No. 1633. Australian Recording Industry Association. 21 June 2021. p. 4.
  23. ^ "Tones and I/トーンズ・アンド・アイ「Welcome To The Madhouse / ウェルカム・トゥ・ザ・マッドハウス」 | Warner Music Japan". ワーナーミュージック・ジャパン | Warner Music Japan (in Japanese). Retrieved 21 June 2021.
  24. ^ "Australiancharts.com – Tones and I – Welcome to the Madhouse". Hung Medien. Retrieved 23 July 2021.
  25. ^ "Ultratop.be – Tones and I – Welcome to the Madhouse" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 8 August 2021.
  26. ^ "Ultratop.be – Tones and I – Welcome to the Madhouse" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved 25 July 2021.
  27. ^ "Tones and I Chart History (Canadian Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved 27 July 2021.
  28. ^ "Lescharts.com – Tones and I – Welcome to the Madhouse". Hung Medien. Retrieved 2 August 2021.
  29. ^ "Offiziellecharts.de – Tones and I – Welcome to the Madhouse" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 23 July 2021.
  30. ^ "Charts.nz – Tones and I – Welcome to the Madhouse". Hung Medien. Retrieved 24 July 2021.
  31. ^ "Norwegiancharts.com – Tones and I – Welcome to the Madhouse". Hung Medien. Retrieved 24 July 2021.
  32. ^ "Swisscharts.com – Tones and I – Welcome to the Madhouse". Hung Medien. Retrieved 25 July 2021.
  33. ^ "Tones and I Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved 27 July 2021.
  34. ^ "ARIA Artists Top 50 Albums for 2021". Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved 15 January 2022.
  35. ^ "Canadian album certifications – Tones and I – Welcome to the Madhouse". Music Canada. Retrieved 8 November 2022.
  36. ^ "Welcome to the Madhouse by Tones and I on Apple Music". Apple Music. Archived from the original on 10 June 2021. Retrieved 10 June 2021.
  37. ^ "Welcome to the Madhouse". JB Hi-Fi. 16 July 2021. Archived from the original on 10 June 2021. Retrieved 11 June 2021.
  38. ^ "Welcome to the Madhouse (Vinyl)". JB Hi-Fi. 16 July 2021. Archived from the original on 10 June 2021. Retrieved 10 June 2021.
  39. ^ "Welcome to the Madhouse (JB Hi-Fi AU Exclusive Orange Vinyl)". JB Hi-Fi. 16 July 2021. Archived from the original on 10 June 2021. Retrieved 10 June 2021.
  40. ^ "Welcome to the Madhouse". JB Hi-Fi. 16 July 2021. Archived from the original on 10 June 2021. Retrieved 11 June 2021.
  41. ^ "Welcome to the Madhouse (Vinyl)". JB Hi-Fi. 16 July 2021. Archived from the original on 10 June 2021. Retrieved 11 June 2021.
  42. ^ "Welcome to the Madhouse". JB Hi-Fi. 16 July 2021. Archived from the original on 10 June 2021. Retrieved 11 June 2021.