Tones and I has last laugh over NRL with Dance Monkey jab after Deni Ute Muster performance

Singer Tones and I performed her hit song 'Dance Monkey' at the Deni Ute Muster, following a public dispute with the NRL over her refusal to perform the track at their grand final. The NRL ultimately opted for a tribute act, while the singer used social media to signal her independence.
Why it matters
The incident highlights the intersection of celebrity culture, sports entertainment, and the power dynamics between performers and major sporting organizations.
Tones and I has had the last laugh over the NRL after performing Dance Monkey at the Deni Ute Muster on the same weekend as the grand final. The Australian singer was thrust into the spotlight when rugby league supremo Peter V’landys claimed talks about headlining the grand final’s pre-game show broke down over her apparent unwillingness to perform the breakout hit. Tones and I’s management cited prior commitments and said she was only asked at the start of September. Tones herself later teased Western Australian tour dates with a pointed message: “PSA: Will be singing all songs.” The NRL took one last shot at the singer during the grand final, piping Dance Monkey through the speakers after the first try of the game. But she had more to say after performing the song herself over the weekend in regional NSW.
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5 other newsrooms covered this event. We read each version separately.
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