Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong defends exclusive Taylor Swift deal, saying it's not hostile.

• On Tuesday, Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong stated that a private agreement for Taylor Swift to perform in the city-state guaranteed she would not perform in other Southeast Asian countries during her Eras tour.
• The city-state has confirmed that the agreement for Swift to perform in Singapore included exclusivity terms that prohibited her from performing in other countries.
• Selena Oh, a communications director based in Singapore, stated that the move was bold and shrewd.

On Tuesday, Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong stated that a private agreement for Taylor Swift to perform in the city-state guaranteed she would not perform in other Southeast Asian countries during her Eras tour.

An arrangement was negotiated with her to perform in Singapore and make it her only stop in Southeast Asia, as stated by him at a press conference at a regional summit in Melbourne, according to Reuters.

The city-state has confirmed that the agreement for Swift to perform in Singapore included exclusivity terms that prohibited her from performing in other countries.

During a parliamentary session, Edwin Tong, Singapore's minister for culture, community and youth, refused to respond to this question on two separate occasions.

He did not disclose the grant's size to Swift, but stated it is "not as high as speculated."

He stated that due to confidentiality reasons, the grant's size and conditions cannot be disclosed.

On Feb. 16, the issue of Singapore allegedly giving Swift's team between $2 million and $3 million per show in exchange for not performing in other regional cities was brought to the forefront by Thai Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, as reported by The Bangkok Post.

A diplomatic thorn

The grant payment to Swift's promoters has sparked criticism from neighboring countries, who accuse Singapore of brokering a deal that excluded them from the highest-grossing tour of all time.

According to local media, Joey Salceda, a member of the Philippine House of Representatives, stated that such agreements are not what good neighbors do and are contrary to ASEAN principles.

On Tuesday, Lee disputed the characterization, stating, "This arrangement has been very successful, and I don't view it as unfriendly."

The six concerts of Swift in Singapore are predicted to inject between $260 million and $372 million into the economy, provided that 70% of the attendees are from abroad.

In each of her first three concerts in Singapore, Swift urged her audience to cheer, first for the locals and then for those who had journeyed from abroad to attend the show. Every time, the applause from travelers was significantly louder.

This week, the average daily rates at hotels in Singapore increased from $256 to $400, with bookings rising 92% from travelers originating in Malaysia, 111% from Thailand, and 189% from Indonesia, as reported by RateGain, a travel software company.

Prior to her Reputation Stadium Tour in 2018, Swift's tour only included one stop in Asia, which was in Tokyo.

Her previous tours, including Speak Now, Red, and 1989, featured stops in Shanghai, Hong Kong, Indonesia, the Philippines, and Malaysia.

Shrewd or selfish?

The debate on whether Singapore's agreement was a result of smart dealmaking or greed has been sparked.

Selena Oh, a communications director based in Singapore, stated that the move was bold and shrewd.

Some argue that a winner-takes-all mentality negatively impacts regional tourism industries and fans who cannot afford to travel to see Swift in person, as the pandemic has already caused significant damage.

Christian de Boer, a Cambodia-based hotel managing director, stated that Singapore authorities are slightly selfish and only focused on their own interests, without considering the wider region.

The deal is compared to how cities compete to host significant sporting events, including the Olympics, Super Bowl, and World Cup.

Did anyone object to F1's decision to hold the race in Singapore? Is anyone denying that financial or other practical factors played a role? asked Irene Hoe, a Singapore-based editorial consultant.

Artists traveling from city to city to reach their fans have not always faced such intense competition in concerts.

As experience-led tourism becomes more popular, concerts are becoming increasingly profitable, with fans willing to travel long distances to see their favorite artists.

A 'mean' deal?

In Monday's Parliamentary session, Gerald Giam queried Tong about whether the Singapore government had negotiated to make the island Taylor Swift's only "blank space" in Southeast Asia, alluding to her hit song of the same name.

Did he realize that this might be perceived as mean by some neighbors?

Tong responded, "It's necessary to determine what's in the best interest of Singapore and its citizens."