Spending a weekend in Singapore (Taylor’s Version)

by John Joseph Basijan / March 19, 2024

Out of all the times I’ve visited The Lion City, this was the shortest yet the sweetest.

A lot has already been said about Singapore: how it’s a melting pot of different cultures in Asia; how its gut-kicking, caffeine-laden kopi is a must-try, hot or cold; how its weather, while similar to the Philippines, somehow feels more humid; and how its transportation system is much more efficient than ours.

Yet, for two magical weekends in early March, another phrase best describes Singapore: Southeast Asia’s Swiftie Capital.

Singapore is the only stop in Southeast Asia for Taylor Swift’s record-breaking world tour, The Eras Tour (and how it came to be is an entirely different story), so naturally almost every Swiftie in the region set their sights on snagging the chance of seeing this once-in-a-lifetime show. 

Online folks joked that the ticket selling for the Eras Tour in Singapore was “the real SEA Games” but it actually encapsulated what it felt like, knowing that you’re up against millions of fans in Southeast Asia for the much-coveted Ticketmaster code that will take you a step closer to getting those elusive tickets.

Anticipation, desperation, bargaining: those were just the mix of emotions felt during the first few minutes when tickets were finally sold. Then, the elation that, after hours of patiently waiting, you’ve finally secured tickets to The Eras Tour. Expenses be damned—it’s not everyday that Taylor Swift goes to a city (or, in this case, a country) near you to perform all her greatest hits.

Tell them how the crowds went wild

I was initially hesitant to try my luck in getting tickets to the Eras Tour. Truth be told, it was only a few years ago that I fully accepted the fact that I love Taylor Swift. I was familiar with her earlier hits, like “Love Story,” “Teardrops on My Guitar,” and “You Belong With Me.” My initial reaction to “Look What You Made Me Do” was disdain, and joined those who ridiculed the song and its interpolation of Right Said Fred’s “I’m Too Sexy.”

Yet, at one point during the show, she reassured us recently converted Swifties that there was a place for us in the Eras Tour, “whether you’ve been a fan for fifteen years or fifteen minutes.” Taylor also acknowledged the fact that most of the attendees, including myself, flew in to Singapore just for this moment, and thanked us for our efforts to join her.

Unlike her previous tours, The Eras Tour isn’t just to promote her most recent album, “Midnights.” It’s a celebration of all her works throughout her 18 years in the industry, from her humble beginnings as a country singer to her total transformation into a full-fledged pop star.

The Eras Tour is segmented into sections, each devoted to a particular album. Her costumes and visuals also change to befit the aesthetics of her albums, be it the pastel-hued visuals for the “Lover” era, the laid-back airy dress and an actual cottage for her “folklore” era, or her serpentine red-and-black bodysuit for her “reputation” era.

While her setlist mostly remained unchanged, she devoted her acoustic set to playing different songs every night—a section that Swifties always look forward to. For the night that I attended, she played mashups of “Foolish One” and “Tell Me Why” on the guitar and “This Love” and “Call It What You Want” on the piano.

With The Eras Tour, Taylor Swift proved that she’s more than a Grammy-winning singer-songwriter—she’s a full-fledged performer who can captivate crowds of thousands without missing a single beat. The entire concert lasted more than three hours, yet those hours breezed through swiftly (no pun intended), as each era was punctuated by breaks lasting mere minutes.

Tell them how I hope they shine

One thing I looked forward to with The Eras Tour, other than witnessing Taylor’s live performance, was meeting fellow Swifties from different parts of Southeast Asia. As I stood in line for immigration at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport and upon my arrival in Singapore’s Changi Airport, I already saw people wearing Taylor Swift shirts and friendship bracelets bearing titles of Taylor’s songs.

Even Singapore’s cloudy skies and scattered rains did little to dampen the excitement of Swifties for The Eras Tour. A lot came wearing sparkly costumes inspired by their favorite Taylor Swift era, with some even recreating iconic looks from her music videos. 

Of course, it wouldn’t be a Taylor Swift concert without the traditions, which every Swiftie in Singapore’s National Stadium executed with much gusto. Everyone crossed the bridge of “Cruel Summer” with their whole heart and soul, made hand hearts after the bridge of “Fearless,” and shouted “One, two, three, let’s go, b****!” at the beginning of “Delicate.”

As new traditions were established, one remained steadfast throughout the years: the exchange of friendship bracelets. Outside the stadium, and roaming around the seats, were Swifties who were eager to exchange handcrafted bracelets with everyone as a display of kinship. As simple as this gesture might seem, these friendship bracelets show the power of Taylor’s music—hers is the kind that transcends language barriers and unites peoples of different cultures in shared experiences in life, love, and loss expressed in her lyrics.

A heavy downpour greeted the audience after Night 3 of The Eras Tour. Yet the crowds, still on a high after spending more than three hours with Taylor, greeted the downpour with an upbeat disposition as they walked to the nearest train stations and back home. Rain may come pouring down, but it did little to bring down everyone’s high spirits, our minds still reeling from the new core memories formed with fellow Swifties and with Taylor herself.

I was in Singapore for a total of three days and two nights, and spent thousands just so I could attend. Yet you cannot put a price on the unforgettable experience with The Eras Tour, and, yes, it was worth all the effort.

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