Debate Intensifies as Singapore PM Says Taylor Swift Deal Is Not 'Hostile'

Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said on Tuesday that a closed-door deal allowing Taylor Swift to perform in the city-state ensured she would not perform in other South Asian countries -Is during his Eras tour.

“(Our) agencies negotiated an arrangement with her to come to Singapore and perform and make Singapore her only stopover in Southeast Asia,” he said at a press conference at a regional summit in Melbourne. according to Reuters.

The statement is the city-state's first confirmation that the deal allowing Swift to perform in Singapore contained exclusivity terms preventing her from performing in other countries.

On Monday, Edwin Tong, Singapore's Minister for Culture, Community and Youth, refused to answer this question twice during a parliamentary session.

He also did not reveal the amount of the grant awarded to Swift, but said the amount was “not as high as expected.”

“For reasons of commercial confidentiality, we cannot reveal the precise amount of the grant or the terms of the grant,” he said.

The issue gained prominence on February 16 when Thai Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin claimed that Singapore had given Swift's team between $2 million and $3 million per show, in exchange for her not performing in other cities regional, according to The Bangkok Post.

The payment of a subsidy to Swift's promoters became a diplomatic thorn in Singapore, drawing criticism from neighboring countries for negotiating a deal that excluded them from the market. the highest grossing tour of all time.

Joey Salceda, a member of the Philippine House of Representatives, said “this is not what good neighbors do” and added that such agreements are against ASEAN principles, according to local media.

Lee disputed that characterization on Tuesday, saying: “It turned out to be a very successful arrangement. I don't view it as being hostile.”

Swift's six Singapore concerts expected to gross between $260 million and $372 million in the island's economy, assuming that 70% of spectators come from abroad.

During her first three concerts in Singapore, Swift asked her audience to applaud – first the locals, then those who had come from overseas to the show. In all cases, the applause from the travelers was much louder.

Average daily rates at Singapore hotels rose from $256 to $400 this week, with bookings up 92% from travelers from Malaysia, 111% from Thailand and 189% from Indonesia, according to the travel software company RateGain.

Swift's pre-Eras tour, her Reputation Stadium tour in 2018, included just one stop in Asia: Tokyo.

But his previous tours – Speak Now, Red and 1989 – included stops in Shanghai, Hong Kong, Indonesia, the Philippines and Malaysia.

The Singapore deal has sparked a debate over whether it is just a smart deal or greed.

“It was certainly a bold and astute strategic move for Singapore,” said Singapore-based communications director Selena Oh.

But others say a “winner takes all” mentality hurts regional tourism industries, which are still recovering from the pandemic, as well as fans who can't afford the high prices of trips to see Swift in person .

“It's a bit selfish thinking ONLY about Singapore and not the wider region. Obviously (Singapore authorities) don't really care about anyone other than themselves” , said Christian de Boer, general manager of a hotel based in Cambodia.

Some compare the deal to the way cities compete to host major sporting events, such as the Olympics, Super Bowl and World Cup.

“Did anyone protest when F1 decided to come to Singapore? Is anyone claiming there were no monetary or other material considerations?” said Irene Hoe, an editorial consultant based in Singapore.

The concerts – which see artists traveling from city to city to reach their fans – haven't always been so competitive.

But that could change as experience-driven tourism pushes concerts to become money-making juggernauts, with fans willing to travel across continents to see their favorite artists.

During Monday's parliamentary session, Singaporean politician Gerald Giam asked Tong whether the Singapore government negotiated to make the island Taylor Swift's only “empty space” in Southeast Asia, making reference to his hit of the same name.

“And did he realize that this could be seen as mean by some of our neighbors?” He asked.

Tong replied: “You have to do your calculations and figure out what is there in Singapore and Singaporeans.' higher interest.”