Tones And I, BIA and Diarra Sylla Kick Off FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023 With ‘Bring It On’
Written by djfrosty on July 24, 2023
The FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023 is underway, with 32 teams competing for the biggest prize in the sport. Tones And I helped get the ball rolling.
The Australian singer and songwriter teams-up with American rapper Bia and French-Senegalese singer-songwriter Diarra Sylla on the competition’s official walkout anthem, “Bring It On,” which dropped in full Friday (July 21).
Produced by multi-Grammy Award-winner RedOne, the tune will play before all 64 games across the tournament and will enjoy sync opportunities on free-to-air commercial TV in Australia.
The triumvirate of artists represents “different continents and a variety of musical influences,” explains FIFA secretary general Fatma Samoura, pointing out the tune will be used for future tournaments.
“By bringing together voices from Africa, Australia, Europe and North America, this song symbolises how music – and football – can unite the world,” comments Samoura.
“Bring It On” premiered ahead of the opening match last Thursday, July 20 between New Zealand and former World Cup champion Norway at Eden Park, Auckland.
“Being able to bring different people and cultures together through music is just the best thing for me,” comments Bia, whose homeland is the reigning World Cup champion.
Though Senegal missed out this time, “there will be four African teams taking part and I will be proud to represent my country through music,” adds Sylla.
Stream “Bring It On” below.
Tones cut her teeth busking on Australia’s east coast before landing a global smash with “Dance Monkey,” which swung to the top of sales charts in at least 30 markets. Along the way, the track clocked a record 24 weeks at No. 1 on Australia’s ARIA Singles Chart, and, in the U.K., logged 11 weeks at the summit, an all-time mark for a solo female artist.
The hitmaker (real name: Toni Watson) led Billboard’s Hot 100 Songwriters Chart in January 2020, as the song cracked the top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100 chart.
Global combined streams top 10 billion across her catalog, which includes “Fly Away,” which peaked at No. 11 in the U.K. in 2021.
Tones is currently in the studio recording her sophomore album, due out in 2024. It’s the followup to 2021’s Welcome to the Madhouse, which led the ARIA Albums Chart.
But first, a new song, “The Greatest,” is slated to arrive Aug. 4.
The World Cup is co-hosted by Australia and New Zealand for the first time. For the record, both home teams got their campaigns off to winning starts.
The hosts are represented in music by Kiwi pop artist BENEE and Aussie singer and songwriter Mallrat, whose collaboration “Do It Again” is the “official song” of the tournament.
Stream “Do It Again” below.