Tones And I Misses NRL Grand Final Preshow Over Prior Commitment

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Tones And I was approached to perform the preshow at the NRL Grand Final but was unable to accept due to a prior commitment with Macklemore in America, according to a statement from her management at Lemon Tree Management. The offer was presented to the singer via management on Sept. 5, but nothing was signed or confirmed in writing. The NRL Grand Final is a major annual event in Australian sport and music.

The statement, seen by Billboard, explained that Tones And I had a prior commitment with Macklemore in America and explored all avenues to make it work. However, due to the last minute nature of the offer and prior commitments, the singer was unable to accept. Her team wished the NRL nothing but the very best for their event. The NRL Grand Final is one of the great annual crossover moments for a country obsessed with music and sport.

Australian Rugby League Commission chair Peter V'landys said the cost associated with the grand final entertainment was roughly A$1 million. He remarked that he would prefer to see 20,000 underprivileged kids who cannot afford to play rugby league play rugby league, rather than spend a million dollars on 11 minutes of a musical performance. V'landys had no hard feelings with Tones And I, saying he is a fan and that she is a great performer with great songs, but they both decided to go in a different direction.

That different direction means a move away from artists sharing the spotlight of the grand final. V'landys insisted the sport did not need high-profile singers to sell tickets. He told the ABC that the game sells itself and that people come to watch rugby league, not a pop concert. He added that they consider a lot of artists over a period of time, but he has been toying with the idea for a couple of years now, about giving the money to kids to play rugby league rather than a musical act.

Billboard reported the issue was connected with the NRL's demand that Tones And I perform her 2019 smash Dance Monkey, but that the singer and songwriter had declined. Tones has previously discussed her mixed feelings about the song. In a 2022 interview, she spoke about her relationship with the hit. She does sing it sometimes, including her showcase for the New Year's celebration at Times Square, heading into 2026, and at Sydney's NYE event in 2022.

Dance Monkey was a massive streaming hit which dominated charts for months, including Australia where it held top spot for an all-time record 24 weeks. The single also led the U.K. survey for 11 weeks, a record for a solo female artist. It cracked the top 5 on the Billboard Hot 100 and reigned over charts in some 30 territories. The song's success has been both a blessing and a challenge for Tones And I, who has expressed mixed feelings about performing it repeatedly.

Her debut album, The Kids Are Coming, hit No. 1 in Australia after its release in July 2021, and featured her follow-up hit Fly Away, which peaked at No. 11 in the U.K. Her sophomore album, 2024's Beautifully Ordinary, continued to showcase her growth as an artist. Meanwhile, Macklemore finds himself with some unexpected time on his hands, after a widely publicized early exit from Ed Sheeran's tour. The situation highlights the scheduling conflicts that can arise for artists with international commitments.

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Tones And I NRL Grand Final Peter V'landys Dance Monkey Macklemore Lemon Tree Management Australian Rugby League

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