Macklemore declares 'equality for all' after singing Same Love at NRL grand final

Updated

US rapper Macklemore has ended his controversial performance of pro-same-sex marriage song Same Love at the NRL grand final by saying "equality for all" as rainbow-coloured fireworks exploded behind him.

After a week of controversy over his decision to perform the song, he performed a medley of his greatest hits.

About 15 minutes into his set, after performing Can't Hold Us, Thrift Shop and Downtown, the US artist performed the song to a crowd of cheering fans.

The lyrics of Same Love remained unaltered, and some in the crowd held their hands in the sky in the shape of a heart.

The track, which was written with Ryan Lewis and Mary Lambert, hit number one on iTunes in Australia this week after former prime minister Tony Abbott argued "footy fans shouldn't be subjected to a politicised grand final".

The furore preceding the performance came amid millions of Australians having their say on marriage laws in the country, with vigorous campaigning from both sides of the debate.

After Macklemore left the stage, the monitors inside the stadium showed the words "equality" and "inclusiveness".

But for viewers at home the performance was followed by a new ad for the No campaign.

Many people took to social media afterward to support the star's performance, which he said "was one of the greatest honors of my career".

In recent days Mr Abbott, and MP Bob Katter were among the conservative politicians who were up in arms over the show.

Neither Mr Abbott nor Mr Katter have yet commented on social media about the performance.

Yesterday, Macklemore pledged to donate the Australian earnings of the hit single to the Yes campaign.

When the song, written during the US same-sex marriage debate, hit number one on iTunes in Australia on Thursday night, the singer said it was a sign "love is winning".

The single has remained in the top spot for more than 72 hours.

Soon after its release in 2013, Same Love hit the top 40 in the United States, becoming one of the first pro-same-sex-marriage songs to make it into the charts.

Topics: arts-and-entertainment, music, lgbt, community-and-society, government-and-politics, australia, sydney-2000

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