The Kid LAROI gave a glimpse of his upcoming Australian tour with a performance at the NRL Grand Final at Accor Stadium over the weekend.

Reactions poured in as the Redfern-raised, LA-based artist powered through his short set, performing hits like “Baby I’m Back,” “Girls,” 2021’s “Stay,” and a cover of INXS’s “Never Tear Us Apart.”

Here’s how some of the 80,000 league fans and viewers at home reacted:

Too Much Smoke?

A lot of viewers felt the smoke machine was a little too much.

Former AFL player Daniel Gorringe tweeted: “Kid Laroi performance needs more smoke.”

Brad Cole added: “How many in Accor Stadium can actually see The Kid Laroi through the smoke?”

Another fan joked: “Kid Laroi did well considering the production bloke tripped over the smoke switch.”

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A Nod to Michael Hutchence

LAROI paid tribute to INXS’s Michael Hutchence with a surprise cover of “Never Tear Us Apart.”

He tweeted: “dream come true last night. played to 80,000 people in my hometown at the @nrl grand final & I got to cover one of my favorite songs of ALL time. I LOVE YOU AUSTRALIA & LONG LIVE THE LEGEND MICHAEL HUTCHENCE.”

Sports journalist Brad Walter tweeted: “The Kid Laroi just won over anyone who wasn’t sure with a cover of INXS’s ‘Never Tear Us Apart.’”

ABC radio presenter James Findlay agreed: “Wow. @thekidlaroi really is a superstar… but nailing that big note in the ‘Never Tear Us Apart’ cover was IMPRESSIVE!!”

Katy Perry Comparisons

Some fans couldn’t help but compare LAROI’s no-frills performance to Katy Perry’s flashy AFL set the weekend before.

Ros Reines wrote: “Totally agree – top performance that made Katy Perry’s AFL GF outing seem straight out of The Cheesecake Factory. With a surprise cover, The Kid Laroi nailed it.”

Another fan tweeted: “I love the Kid Laroi. This is 2000x better than Katy Perry.”

And: “The Kid Laroi > Katy Perry #sorrynotsorry #NRL.”

Mixed Reactions

While many viewers were left questioning his performance, there was also plenty of love for LAROI from fans.

One fan wrote: “The NRL getting Kid Laroi is so fucking goated.”

Another added: “Tall Poppy syndrome is alive and well in Australia. How about instead of tearing down Kid Laroi’s performance (which isn’t even bad), let’s be proud that a local boy has made it fucking HUGE over in the states and the world. My god. #NRLGrandFinal.”

But of course, no grand final entertainment is without its critics.

Daniel Gorringe tweeted: “This might be the NRL’s Meatloaf performance.”

One fan wrote: “Why do the NRL always cut corners and buy pregame entertainment from Temu?”

LAROI’s Upcoming Tour & New Music

The Kid LAROI gears up for his highly anticipated tour this November.

Playing venues like Sydney CommBank Stadium, Rod Laver Arena in Melbourne, and Perth RAC Arena, LAROI is currently building an immersive world for fans.

LAROI was also recently announced as the music keynote for SXSW Sydney 2024. On October 19 at Darling Harbour Theatre, he’ll discuss his journey from Redfern to global fame.

Following hits like “Heaven” and “Still Yours,” he dropped the summer anthem “Girls” and will release his new track and video, “APEROL SPRITZ,” this Friday.

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