Cody Simpson will tick off another item on his bucket list when he performs the Australian national anthem before the historic NFL game later this week in Melbourne.
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Any nerves? You bet.
Speaking with The Hit Network’s Carrie & Tommy, the Aussie singer and songwriter admitted he was feeling it ahead of his performance at a packed Melbourne Cricket Ground, remarking the venue can be “pretty daunting place when it’s full.”
When the Queenslander steps onto the pitch, more than 100,000 sports fans are expected to be watching on. Simpson is the warm-up for the main act, which will see the Los Angeles Rams face off against the San Francisco 49ers for Australia’s first-ever regular season NFL game.
“I’m super stoked,” he remarked. “I half grew up over in L.A., I moved over when I was 13 and got signed. So, it’s cool to come over and be a part of the first NFL game on Aussie soil.”
Simpson said he’d be “lying” if he said wasn’t feeling anxious about his moment in history, but he’s no stranger to the big stage. He performed “Advance Australia Fair” at the AFL Grand Final in 2024; before the Melbourne Cup at Flemington Racecourse in 2022; and he did so before the Australia Day NBA match pitting Minnesota Timberwolves against the hometown Cleveland Cavs back in 2016.
“I’m going to do it the exact same way. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it,” he told the station.
Melbourne is arguably Australia’s sports capital, a city that has hosted an Olympics (in 1956), each year presents the “race that stops the nation” (the Melbourne Cup) and is the home of Australian rules football, the national sport. The NFL match has been a hot ticket. Whether the American code can find a foothold in a market that’s flush with brawny ball sports, “it’s hard to tell because it’s somewhat of a novelty,” Simpson explained. “I feel like as Australians we have a natural interest in American culture, and there’s an interest to see something new at the MCG. It’s going to be cracking.”
Simpson also gave a shout out to the Jonas Brothers, who’re locked in for the half-time show. “I haven’t seen them in years but it’s unreal that they’re coming to do it,” he remarked. “They’ve got a bigger job than I’ve got… I’ve just got to do one song.”
The 29-year-old is the right guy for the job. As a pop artist, he has landed five titles on the Billboard 200, including a top 10 appearance with 2013’s Surfers Paradise (peaking at No. 10). And as an athlete, he’s an international gold medalist. A butterfly specialist, Simpson collected Commonwealth Games gold in 2022 as part of the men’s 4x100m freestyle relay, along with silver in the 4x100m medley. His efforts earned him selection to Australia’s squad for the 2022 Duel in the Pool against the United States.
Kick-off for the NFL Melbourne Game at the MCG is 8.35pm on Thursday, Sept. 10.
