Kings of Leon's NFL Draft Performance Rubbed Fans the Wrong Way

Daniel S. Levine

04/29/2021 11:18 pm EDT

The 2021 NFL Draft began later than fans hoped because the event featured a performance from Kings of Leon at the start. The group performed for the first time in over a year, taking the stage a little over a month after they released their first album in four years When You See Yourself. Kings of Leon fans might have been happy to hear them, but some NFL fans were displeased with the delay.

The quartet - made up of brothers Caleb, Nathan and Jared Followill and cousin Mathew Followill - took the stage at FirstEnergy Stadium in Cleveland before NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell. Ann Wilson of Heart was picked to perform the National Anthem. The audience actually applauded Kings of Leon before they booed Goodell. When the draft finally did start, the Jacksonville Jaguars drafted quarterback Trevor Lawrence with the first overall pick.

Before the group took the stage, they stopped by the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, which is hosting an exhibit that features their move into cryptocurrency. In March, Kings of Leon became the first group to release their album as a non-fungible token. In an interview with Billboard, the group said they still don't have a complete understanding of what an NFT is. "We had to study up a little bit, and it's still a little beyond me," Caleb said. "We didn't know that much about it, but we were happy to be introduced to it."

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Nathan said he was a little familiar with the idea and is excited to see how NFTs could help musicians. "I think it's the way of the future, not only for music but you're seeing sports cards in the form of NFTs, artists putting their work through NFT," he said. "So not just for music, but for art and I think it will definitely have a place." The group plans to donate a portion of the NFTs proceeds to Live Nation's Crew Nation fund, which was set up to help music industry workers who are struggling during the pandemic.

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Although the group is performing at the draft, Matthew doesn't like the group's chances when it comes to playing the Super Bowl halftime show. "I don't think they would ever ask us," he said. "We're not that kind of entertainer. We would do it, but we would start rehearsing now for 10 years from now."

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Kings of Leon released their first album in 2003 and found their biggest success with their fourth album, Only By The Night, which features their biggest hits, "Sex on Fire" and "Use Somebody." Those two songs alone earned them four Grammys, including two for Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal. "Use Somebody" also won Best Rock Song and Record of the Year in 2010. Some fans were frustrated to see them still performing "Use Somebody" at the NFL Draft. Scroll on for a look at more responses to Kings of Leon's performance.

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"Kings of Leon and Tim Tebow in the NFL news. What a weird time warp today has been," one fan wrote. "Am I in 2008 right now with @KingsOfLeon," another Twitter user wrote.

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"They should pause the draft for another Kings of Leon song," one fan suggested. "Need some Kings of Leon to spice up the back half here," another wrote.

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"I meant to tweet this earlier but it's so disrespectful for Kings of Leon to be the band playing at the NFL Draft. Everyone deserves better," one person who is not a fan of their work wrote. "I was told the #NFLDraft starts at 8 PM, not a Kings of Leon concert. MOVE IT," another wrote.

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