Taylor Swift and her all-time, highest-grossing “Eras Tour” have landed in Singapore, but not without a dose of controversy.
The Singaporean government's reported efforts to secure an exclusive deal with Swift to make the island republic the only stop in Southeast Asia on the tour is causing "Bad Blood" with regional neighbors.
The tour officially kicked off in Southeast Asia at Singapore's National Stadium, and there's a frenzy of fashion, friendship bracelets, and frighteningly long queues!
Vanessa Kang is capitalizing on the craze. She's selling Swift-themed cupcakes outside and making a killing.
"Each of these cupcakes are actually inspired by all the Taylor Swift albums,” said Kang. "We have a lot of people buying the bundle of four, so we've actually sold out, as you can see here. They are all sold out already, so we are planning to go home and make more to sell for the next couple of days."
Businesses, big and small, are cashing in on what's been dubbed the "Swift Effect."
Singapore hotels and airlines say there's been a 30% spike in demand for flights and accommodation around the concert dates.
The singer-songwriter is performing six shows in Singapore, and since it's the only stop in Southeast Asia, it has left neighboring countries suggesting Singapore's government "Did Something Bad."
Last month, Thailand's Prime Minister claimed Swift's team had been paid up to $3 million per show so long as she didn't perform anywhere else in the region.
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One Philippine lawmaker said it isn't “what good neighbors do.”
Singaporean authorities have left a "Blank Space" about the details, only saying the figure isn't nearly as high as reported.
Regardless of what the Singaporean government did or didn't pay Taylor Swift for her to perform exclusively in this part of Southeast Asia, the economic impact is immense. Experts say it could net Singapore close to $400 million in tourism receipts.
And any deal might not have been the only reason why Swift chose only to perform here.
"From a logistical standpoint, it makes a lot of sense,” said Jean Hew, the head of research at Jom, a weekly magazine about Singapore. "Singapore just has really great infrastructure, so we can account for how many people are coming. Our public transport system is known for being quite efficient, so just getting people to and from the venue will be relatively easy."
It's also attracted many fans from the mega market in China, where Swift also has a huge following.
Earlier this year, China and Singapore agreed on a 30-day visa-free entry policy for visitors either way.
Roxy Pei, from Chengdu, said it was the next best thing to have Swift perform in her home country.
"It's very convenient because we can just come to Singapore with our passport, and we don't need to do other things,” said concertgoer Roxy Pei.
Still, Singapore's tactics could set the tone for international artists touring the region in the future.
"Yeah, I think we should anticipate some fierce competition in the future when it comes to a bidding war for these sorts of mega events,” said Hew.
And should the island republic lose out, just don't cry "Karma."
