Taylor Swift's Singapore stop upsets Southeast Asian neighbours

Taylor Swift is playing six concerts in Singapore and other Southeast Asia nations aren‘t completely happy about that

A whole bunch of Southeast Asian nations are not too happy with Singapore right now—and it’s all because of Taylor Swift.

Singapore has bagged exclusive rights to host six Swift shows during her Eras world tour, meaning the city-state's neighbours are missing out on the financial bonanza that follows Swift around like her army of Swifties.

Even the fans themselves feel a little let down: not only would Swifties from other Southeast Asian nations have to compete with locals for limited tickets, but if they did manage to nab a ticket, they'd have the added expense of travelling to one of the region's most expensive cities.

And tickets were not easy to get. Millions of Swifties in Southeast Asia described scoring tickets to the concert as “The Great War” (a reference to her song from her 2022 album Midnights) with only a limited 300,000 tickets up for grabs.

Diplomatic rumblings

It is estimated that the six-night concert will leave Singapore's economy bejewelled with up to SG$500 million (US$ 372 million). The Singapore deal meant other Southeast Asian countries would lose their opportunity to showcase their culture to the world since the “Taylor Swift Effect” also yields brand exposure moments which would endure even after the concerts.

Unsurprisingly, it led to an outcry in one of the Southeast Asian countries and the public at large. A disappointed Thai Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin wasn't happy about the Singapore government's payment of around US$2 million to US$3 million per concert in return for exclusive rights in Southeast Asia.

Joey Salceda, a member of the Philippine House of Representatives, expressed discontent with Singapore’s deal, characterising it as being contrary to the conduct expected between good neighbours. He urged the Department of Foreign Affairs to request clarification on the agreement from the Singaporean embassy.

In response, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong of Singapore said during a visit to Melbourne on Tuesday, Mar 5, that the “successful arrangement” with the singer was fair play. “I do not see that as being unfriendly. Sometimes one country makes a deal, sometimes another country does,” he said during a joint press conference with Australia’s Prime Minister Anthony Albanese.

Above For Taylor Swift's Red Tour in 2014, AirAsia dressed its aircraft in special livery. Swift made stops in Jakarta, Manila, Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur and Singapore (Photo: Mohd Imran A. G. under Creative Commons 2.0)

But are other countries ready for megastars?

In other parts of Southeast Asia, observers have attributed the absence of big music tours like this to things such as inadequate infrastructure, political upheaval, and the conservative positions of some religious groups.

Megastars also faced challenges related to religious sensitivities from authorities. Holding a concert in some religious capitals entails organisers or performers having to accept the potential risks of sudden cancellations by the government under political pressure.

The absence of reliable public transport and infrastructure for megastars has been cited as one of the potential reasons to choose Singapore over other Southeast Asian cities. Another issue is a history of inadequate crowd management.

Equally important, the issue of good governance and democratic credentials might also be another factor in their calculation. In Thailand, this came after Swift cancelled a performance in 2014, not long after the military coup which toppled the democratically elected government of then Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra.

Learning from the past

Singapore's neighbours could also learn from the mistakes and weaknesses which have already taken place in similar events, such as ticketing errors, worn-out merchandise, concerts lasting for too long, and aggressive crowds. Public-private partnerships could come up with preparations which specifically target these areas so that we will not have to encounter these quagmires that occurred in other regions.

Taylor Swift's show in Singapore has sparked a conversation throughout Southeast Asia, bringing attention to geopolitical tensions, diplomatic concerns, and the wider impact of cultural influence. With worries about Singapore's exclusive concert deal spreading across the region, it encourages contemplation on fairness, cultural interchange, and cooperation among neighbouring countries.

Southeast Asian nations can heed lessons from past errors, work together on thorough planning, and create an environment where artistic expression can flourish fairly for the benefit of the entire region.

And you’d have to love that.

Thanapat Pekanan is a research fellow at the Institute of Security and International Studies (ISIS), Chulalongkorn University's Faculty of Political Science.

This piece was originally published under Creative Commons by 360info™ and has been updated with additional information on March 6, 2024.

Tatler Asia

Should Singapore's neighbours be upset at missing out on Taylor Swift's global tour?

Diplomatic rumblings

But are other countries ready for megastars?

Learning from the past