Taylor Swift turned heads at the Asia Summit on Tuesday. Singapore’s leaders have been asked to defend their exclusive concert deal with the singer, which risks sowing bad blood in the region by preventing her from performing in the neighboring country.
Singapore is a key member of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, a 10-nation bloc known as ASEAN. The three-day summit was expected to focus on the humanitarian crisis in member state Myanmar and the conflict in the South China Sea.
Instead, Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong was grilled on the sidelines of the summit about the lucrative and exclusive contract the Singapore city-state had signed with Swift, which allowed Swift to travel to other destinations in Southeast Asia on the Elas Tour. I can no longer go to
Swift will perform six concerts in Singapore from March 2 to 9, but some of her Southeast Asian neighbors have complained that the deal with Singapore deprives organizers of the tourism boom her concerts bring. It’s leaking. Her Elas Tour reportedly broke records last year, grossing over $1 billion, and her film adaptation of her tour quickly became number one at the box office, making it her highest-grossing tour to date. It became a concert film.
Following the first night of his Elas Tour in Sydney, Australia on February 23, the pop star embraced his NFL star beau in a sweet clip posted by a fan on social media.
Singapore’s leader confirmed on Tuesday that Swift was given “certain incentives” in exchange for making Singapore the only Southeast Asian destination on her Elas tour. Lee defended the deal in a joint press conference with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese. Anthony Albanese, a self-proclaimed Swiftie, boasted Taylor Swift as the second most streamed artist of 2023 on his Spotify rap list. Mr Albanese is hosting a summit in Melbourne to coincide with the 50th anniversary. Australia becomes ASEAN’s first external partner.
Mr Lee did not disclose the cost of the exclusive contract, which was paid for from a government fund set up to rebuild tourism after the disruption caused by the coronavirus. He also did not directly respond to a question about whether the deal had caused discord among other leaders, saying that had Singapore not signed the exclusive deal, its neighbors might have. He suggested that no.
“It turned out to be a very successful arrangement. I don’t think it’s unkind,” Lee said.
Thai Prime Minister Sureta Thabisin was told by promoters in February that the Singapore government would subsidize the concerts by about $2 million to $3 million per performance, provided the government did not perform outside the southeastern region. This contract drew attention by publicly claiming that Asia.
Travis Kelsey is telling all about his love story with Taylor Swift. After a whirlwind trip to Sydney to support girlfriend Taylor Swift on her Ellas tour of Australia, the NFL superstar partied with his Kansas City Chiefs teammates in Las Vegas.
Sletta said he was confident he could accomplish something similar had he known about the deal earlier.
However, Thailand’s Prime Minister and Secretary-General Plomin Lertulije said Thailand does not recognize that from Singapore. He told reporters in a group interview on Monday that Thailand already has some laws in place that allow for such incentive packages, but the government is trying to remove red tape, citing what Singapore has done as an example. , said that he is working to make Thailand a more attractive place for international exchange. event.
“We are learning from each other,” Plomin said, adding that he praised Singapore for coming up with this “great business idea” and making it happen.
In February, Indonesia’s Tourism and Creative Economy Minister Sandiaga Uno apologized to Swift fans on Instagram, saying, “International music events such as Taylor Swift concerts do have a huge impact on the country’s economy. But, sorry Swifties, Taylor Swift hasn’t stopped by Indonesia yet. But this is a lesson for us.”
Katy Perry and Rita Ora cheered on the pop star at her iconic concert on February 23, and her boyfriend Travis Kelce also cheered her on.
Raisa Christie, a 37-year-old fan from Jakarta, Indonesia, said she was disappointed that the closest place to Swift was Singapore. But she believes it is the only one in the region with the capabilities and infrastructure to meet Swift’s standards.
Mr Lee did not know what the arrangements were on the Australian side, but he said Swift performed in Melbourne and Sydney (one of which was attended by the Australian prime minister) before flying to Singapore, as well. He said he hoped a “mutually acceptable and sensible arrangement” would be reached.
A representative for Swift did not respond to a request for comment.
Other questions at the press conference included rising tensions in the South China Sea, the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and the possibility of China joining a regional free trade agreement.
Associated Press writers Jintamas Saksongchai in Bangkok and Edna Tarigan in Jakarta, Indonesia, contributed.
