The weekend in Singapore that’ll perhaps forever belong to Swifties ended not exactly as one had hoped for — it exceeded expectations in every way. It wasn’t just that the ‘Eras Tour’ of Taylor Swift left Singapore screaming for more, but also that the singer’s on-stage spectacle was charged up by a real heart-to-heart connection with the island state.
Taylor Swift, the biggest contemporary pop star in the world, is holding her third concert night in Singapore today, to be followed by a two-day gap, before fans gather again for three nights at the National Stadium. These fans have come from all over South-East Asia, and even further.
The sighting of Lisa, member of the popular K-Pop band Blackpink, at the Taylor Swift concert in Singapore has gone viral on social media. Also present was Minho from Shinee, another K-Pop group.
To Taylor, from Lisa, with love
Lisa of the South Korean pop band Blackpink shows off her friendship bracelets at the Taylor Swift Singapore concert. Photo courtesy: X/ @WORLDMUSICAWARD
Meeting of minds in Singapore
Lisa of Blackpink with Taylor Swift in Singapore. Photo courtesy: X/ @WORLDMUSICAWARD
The lucky little girl who got the ‘22’ hat
The moment that really touched everyone was when Taylor Swift ran down the stage and knelt before a little girl, and gave her a hug in the middle of performing the song 22 on the first concert night.
This lucky little girl got what a fan dreams of: a hat gifted by Taylor Swift herself. This has become a concert ritual for the star; she always picks a young member of the audience and presents her with a fedora hat.
According to a report in The Straits Times, the child who got the hug and the hat from Taylor Swift was named Giselle Heng, who goes to Yishun Primary School and has her 11th birthday coming up in June. In an interview with ST, the young fan said, “I gave [Taylor Swift] a friendship bracelet that says 22. I told her, ‘I love you’, and she told me, ‘I love you’, too. I hugged her and a bit of her hair went into my mouth. It tasted a bit salty because of her sweat, but I don’t care at all.”
“I’ve been hearing about Singapore my whole life”
Singapore went all mushy on the opening night when Taylor Swift revealed that she had grown up learning about the Asian nation, because her mother Andrea lived and went to school here.
“I’ve been hearing about Singapore my whole life,” said Taylor Swift to wild cheering from the audience. “And so, to get to come here, and play a show this big, with so many beautiful generous people who are essentially honouring my family with what you just did with that song. It means the world, I already love you, we’re going to have a blast tonight.” There are no words to capture what the National Stadium crowd felt in that moment; the wails of delight will suffice.
For two nights, Taylor Swift dazzled Singapore with her larger-than-life stagecraft, mashups of her chart-topper songs, and gorgeous costumes that have now become the ‘Eras Tour’ trademark. Magnificent fireworks rounded off the shows.
Tonight and for three more nights down the week, Taylor Swift will take over hearts and minds in Singapore. For every young fan in the audience, there’s the delicious possibility of receiving another ‘22’ hat from the hands of one of the most loved celebrities on the planet.