Controversy heats up after Singapore's Prime Minister says Taylor Swift's deal is not 'unfriendly'

Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said on Tuesday that the agreement reached behind closed doors to perform singer Taylor Swift in Singapore ensures that she will not perform any concerts in other Southeast Asian countries during her “ERAS” tour.

“(Our agencies) negotiated an arrangement with them to come to Singapore and make presentations and to make Singapore their only stop in Southeast Asia,” he told a press conference at a regional summit in Melbourne. According to Reuters.

This statement is the first confirmation from the city state that the agreement for Swift to perform in Singapore includes exclusive conditions that prevent her from performing in other countries.

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

He also did not reveal the size of the grant to SWIFT, but stated that the amount was “not as high as expected.”

“For reasons of confidentiality, we cannot disclose the exact size of the grant or the terms of the grant,” he said.

The issue gained prominence on February 16 when Thai Prime Minister Sritha Thavesin claimed that Singapore gave Swift's team between $2 million and $3 million per show, in exchange for not performing shows in other regional cities, according to the British newspaper “Daily Mail”. Bangkok Post.

Paying a grant to SWIFT's promoters has become a diplomatic thorn for Singapore, drawing criticism from neighboring countries for brokering a deal that left them out of the highest-grossing tour ever.

Philippine Congressman Joey Salceda said this is “not what our good neighbors do,” adding that such agreements go against ASEAN principles, according to local media.

Lee on Tuesday disputed that characterization, saying: “It's turned out to be a very successful arrangement. I don't see that as unfriendly.”

Swift's six concerts in Singapore are expected to pump between $260 million and $372 million into the island's economy, assuming 70% of concertgoers come from abroad.

During her first three concerts in Singapore, Swift asked her audience to applaud — first locals, then those who had traveled from abroad to attend the show. On each occasion, the passengers' applause was much louder.

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

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

But her previous tours – Speak Now, RED Tours, and 1989 Tours – have included stops in Shanghai, Hong Kong, Indonesia, the Philippines, and Malaysia.

The Singapore agreement has sparked debate about whether this was just clever dealmaking or greed.

“It was definitely a bold and smart strategic move for Singapore,” said Selina Oh, Singapore's communications director.

But others say the winner-takes-all mentality is hurting regional tourism industries, which are still recovering from the pandemic, as well as fans who can't afford the hefty travel prices to see Swift in person.

“I'm a bit selfish with only Singapore in mind and not the wider region. Obviously [Singapore authorities] They couldn't care less about anyone else [than] themselves,” said Christian de Boer, managing director of the hotel in Cambodia.

Some liken the deal to how cities compete to host major sporting events, such as the Olympic Games, the Super Bowl and the World Cup.

“Did anyone protest when Formula 1 decided to come to Singapore? Does anyone pretend that there were no financial or other material considerations?” said Erin Hui, editorial consultant in Singapore.

Concerts – which see artists travel from city to city to reach their fans – haven't always been this competitive.

But that may change as experience-based tourism pushes concerts into huge, money-making arenas, with fans willing to travel across continents to see their favorite artists.

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

“And did you realize that some of our neighbors might view this as despicable?” Asked.

Tong replied: “You have to do your calculations and find out what is happening in Singapore and Singaporeans' Best attention.”