Cyndi Lauper Joins Forces With Tones And I and Producer CYRIL for Dance Remake of 'Time After Time'
Pop legend Cyndi Lauper has teamed up with Australian musicians Tones And I and producer CYRIL to deliver a modern dance rendition of her signature 1983 hit, 'Time After Time.' Released through Spinnin' Records, the collaborative remake pairs Lauper's original vocal performance with contemporary club production.
Music icon Cyndi Lauper has officially granted her blessing and vocal performance to an electronic reimagining of her celebrated ballad "Time After Time," teaming with Australian singer-songwriter Tones And I and producer CYRIL, according to reporting by Billboard.
The refreshed edition of the 1983 classic arrived via Spinnin' Records on Oct. 23. The release retains Lauper's original recorded vocal track alongside the song's recognizable opening guitar strums, weaving them into CYRIL's dance production characterized by steady rhythms, melodic textures, and timekeeping accents before Tones And I enters with vocal support approaching the chorus.
According to accounts shared with Billboard, the project developed through an organic creative relationship between the artists. Lauper noted that she initially connected with Tones And I after attending one of her performances, having already developed an appreciation for her music. When Tones And I later presented the concept of an electronic revision alongside CYRIL, Lauper listened to the concept and endorsed the endeavor.
Tones And I, whose legal name is Toni Watson, described the record as deeply personal, recounting to Billboard that she grew up listening to the original song with her father. She also noted that she and Lauper previously shared a stage performance of the track together, describing Lauper as both an icon and an influential mentor in her career.
The collaboration unites figures with distinct commercial trajectories. Lauper originally established the song on her 1983 breakthrough debut "She's So Unusual," which earned her a Grammy Award for Best New Artist. The original single earned Lauper the first of two career No. 1 placements on the Billboard Hot 100, where it spent two weeks at the summit. Over her multi-decade career, Lauper has earned Grammy, Emmy, and Tony accolades and recorded over 50 million album sales globally.
Tones And I first achieved global prominence following the release of her 2019 smash "Dance Monkey," which secured No. 1 rankings in over 30 countries and set an all-time record in Australia with 24 non-consecutive weeks at the top of the charts. Her catalog also includes five ARIA Awards and two ARIA No. 1 albums.
Producer and DJ CYRIL, whose given name is Cyril Riley, is based in Darwin, Australia. Billboard reported that CYRIL gained major traction in 2024 on Spotify's Australian Music Global Impact List, securing three placements in the top 30, led by his widely streamed remix of Disturbed's "The Sound Of Silence." He previously reached global streaming charts in 2023 with "Stumblin' In," a dance interpolation of the late-1970s release by Suzi Quatro and Chris Norman.
Reflecting on the legacy of the original writing process, Lauper shared that completing the lyrics felt uniquely guided and meaningful, emphasizing the emotional connection she maintains to the foundational composition as it enters this newest dancefloor chapter.