Singapore is defending an agreement that guarantees Taylor Swift will not perform in neighboring countries.
Ashok Kumar/tas24 | Getty Images Entertainment | Getty Images
- Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said on Tuesday that Taylor Swift's private agreement to perform in the city-state ensured she would not perform in other Southeast Asian countries during her Elas tour.
- The statement marks the first time the city-state has confirmed that Swift's agreement to perform in Singapore includes exclusive terms that prevent her from performing in other countries.
- “This was certainly a bold and shrewd strategic move for Singapore,” said Singapore-based communications director Selena Oh.
Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said on Tuesday that Taylor Swift's private agreement to perform in the city-state ensured she would not perform in other Southeast Asian countries during her Elas tour.
“(Our) agency negotiated a deal with her to come and perform in Singapore and make Singapore her only base in Southeast Asia,” he said at a press conference at a regional summit in Melbourne, according to Reuters. said.
The statement marks the first time the city-state has confirmed that Swift's agreement to perform in Singapore includes exclusive terms that prevent her from performing in other countries.
On Monday, Singapore's Minister for Culture, Community and Youth Edwin Tong twice refused to answer this question during parliamentary deliberations.
He also declined to reveal the size of Swift's grant, but said it was “not as high as some have suggested.”
“For trade confidentiality reasons, we cannot disclose the specific size of the grant or the terms of the grant,” he said.
According to the Bangkok Post, the issue was brought to light on February 16 when Thai Prime Minister Sureta Thabisin offered Swift's team $2 million to $3 million per performance in exchange for Singapore not performing in other regional cities. He became famous for claiming that he had given him
Swift's promoter payments have become a diplomatic headache for Singapore, drawing criticism from neighboring countries for brokering a deal that barred her from the highest-grossing tour in history.
Philippine Congressman Joey Salceda said this is “not what a good neighbor would do,” according to local media, adding that such an agreement goes against ASEAN principles.
Mr Lee disputed that characterization on Tuesday, saying: “It turned out to be a very successful deal. I don't think it was unfriendly.”
Taylor Swift will perform at the National Stadium in Singapore on March 2, 2024. Taylor Swift's only Asian stops during her Ellas world tour are Singapore and Tokyo.
Ashok Kumar/tas24 | Getty Images Entertainment | Getty Images
Swift's six concerts in Singapore are expected to inject between $260 million and $372 million into Singapore's economy, assuming 70% of concert-goers are from overseas.
At her first three concerts in Singapore, Swift asked the audience to clap. He applauded first the locals and then those who came to the show from abroad. In each case, the applause of the travelers was much louder.
According to travel software company Rategain, the average daily room rate for hotels in Singapore rose this week from $256 to $400, with 92% of bookings made by travelers from Malaysia, 111% by travelers from Thailand and 111% from Indonesia. Traveler bookings from China increased by 189%.
Swift's pre-Eras tour, 2018's Reputation Stadium Tour, had only one stop in Asia: Tokyo.
But her previous tours, “Speak Now,” “Red,” and a 1989 tour also made stops in Shanghai, Hong Kong, Indonesia, the Philippines, and Malaysia.
The Singapore deal has sparked debate over whether it's just a smart deal or greed.
“This was certainly a bold and shrewd strategic move for Singapore,” said Singapore-based communications director Selena Oh.
But some say the winner-take-all mentality will hurt the local tourism industry, which is still recovering from the pandemic, and fans who can't afford to pay high travel prices to see Swift in person.
“It's a bit of a selfish idea that only has Singapore in mind and doesn't take into account the wider region. Obviously [Singapore authorities] don't care much about others [than] ourselves,” said Christian de Boer, managing director of the Cambodia-based hotel.
We have to do the math and work out what is in the best interest of Singapore and Singaporeans. ”
Edwin Tong
Singapore Minister of Culture, Community and Youth
Some liken the agreement to how cities compete to host major sporting events such as the Olympics, Super Bowl or World Cup.
“Would anyone have protested when F1 decided to come to Singapore? Is anyone pretending there were no financial or other material considerations?” Singapore-based Editorial Consultant Eileen Ho says:
Concerts, where artists travel from city to city to reach fans, have never been so competitive.
But that may be changing as experiential tourism makes concerts a money-making behemoth, with fans willing to travel across continents to see their favorite artists.
In Parliament on Monday, Singaporean politician Gerald Giam, referring to her blockbuster song of the same name, said the Singaporean government was negotiating to make the island Taylor Swift's only “white space” in Southeast Asia. I asked Mr. Tong if it was true.
“And were you aware that this could be perceived as mean to some neighbors?” he asked.
Mr Tong replied: “We need to calculate and figure out what is inside Singapore and Singaporeans.”' in your best interest. ”
