When American soul-pop star Teddy Swims took to the pre-game stage at Sydney’s Accor Stadium for the 2025 NRL Grand Final, it wasn’t just the Brisbane Broncos and Melbourne Storm gearing up for battle, it was also the American singer’s moment to prove himself to an Australian audience who, until that night, largely knew him only as “the guy who sings Lose Control.”
Just days before the event, Swims had NRL fans on edge when he cancelled two Hawaii shows due to illness. The timing couldn’t have been worse, fuelling speculation that the NRL would need to scramble for a last-minute replacement.
But when grand final night arrived, Swims made it to the stage and in typically theatrical fashion. Dressed in a leopard-print long coat (or possibly a kilt) and dripping with rings and chains, the Georgia-born singer-songwriter opened with his moody 2025 hit Bad Dreams. His soulful, gritty voice showed no trace of the health scare that had sidelined him the week before.
He followed with The Door, then surprised the crowd with an Aussie tribute: a cover of AC/DC’s T.N.T. performed just kilometres from where Angus and Malcolm Young grew up. Whether it was a deliberate homage or just pure rock’n’roll instinct, the crowd roared as Swims powered through the classic with his signature soul rasp.
To finish, he belted out his global smash Lose Control – a song that’s racked up more than two billion streams on Spotify and topped charts around the world. The performance was raw, emotional, and undeniably powerful, with Swims’ vocals soaring across the packed stadium.
As with almost every major sporting event performance, opinion was fiercely divided.
Many fans and commentators hailed the NRL’s choice, praising Swims for delivering a heartfelt and vocally impressive set. Viewers described the performance as “electric,” “powerful,” and “a knockout,” with some declaring that the NRL had finally beaten the AFL at its own pre-game entertainment game after Snoop Dogg’s heavily hyped AFL appearance a week earlier.
Others weren’t convinced. Social media lit up with confusion over Swims’ wardrobe, with several joking about whether the singer had mistaken Sydney for Scotland, while others criticised his decision to include an AC/DC cover at such a high-profile Australian event. Some compared it unfavourably to Meat Loaf’s notorious
AFL Grand Final performance in 2011, while others dismissed it as “not footy music.”
Yet even among the critics, few could deny the strength of Swims’ voice. His live delivery was flawless, and his soulful take on hard rock, pop, and gospel influences gave the performance an emotional depth rarely seen in pre-game entertainment.
The NRL Grand Final stage has long hosted some of the biggest names in both Australian and international music. Cold Chisel, Jimmy Barnes, Tina Turner, Hoodoo Gurus and Macklemore have all performed in years past, acts that have become woven into the fabric of the league’s entertainment tradition.
Swims’ inclusion followed in that lineage but marked a stylistic shift. Where Turner’s Simply the Best became an NRL anthem, Swims’ approach leaned more toward modern pop-soul. His choice of T.N.T. was clearly an effort to connect with Australia’s rock heritage, and even if not everyone was on board, the gesture earned respect from many long-time fans.
There’s always been a lively debate around whether the NRL should prioritise Australian acts or bring in global stars. In this case, the gamble on Swims, who refers to Australia as his “second home” and has toured the country several times, was both safe and risky. Safe because of his current popularity; risky because few Australian sports fans knew his backstory.
Born Jaten Collin Dimsdale in Conyers, Georgia, Teddy Swims started out fronting rock, metal and soul bands before going solo in 2019. His artist name, S.W.I.M.S., an acronym for “Someone Who Isn’t Me Sometimes”, reflects his ability to cross genres with ease.
He first gained attention through YouTube covers, where his warm, gospel-rooted voice stood out against stripped-back arrangements. His 2023 single Lose Control catapulted him to international fame, hitting No.1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and going multi-platinum in multiple countries.
Swims’ 2023 debut album I’ve Tried Everything But Therapy (Part 1) blended soul, pop and R&B with confessional songwriting, earning him Grammy and MTV nominations. His follow-up, Part 2, released earlier this year, continued that blend of introspection and arena-ready soul.
Australia has embraced him more than most markets. Lose Control was one of the country’s biggest radio hits of 2024, and his upcoming Australia-New Zealand tour is almost entirely sold out.
Teddy Swims’ 11-minute NRL Grand Final performance won’t be forgotten anytime soon. For some, it was a gutsy, soulful and world-class show from one of the best voices of his generation. For others, it was a mismatch, a U.S. pop-soul singer taking on a rock-leaning Australian sporting tradition.
But one thing’s certain: on grand final night, Swims’ voice filled the stadium, dominated social feeds, and ensured everyone now knows exactly who Teddy Swims is.
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