Singapore PM Lee hails ‘very successful’ Taylor Swift exclusivity deal: ‘I don’t see that as being unfriendly’

In Melbourne to attend this week’s Asean-Australia summit, Lee reportedly added that the deal had turned out to be a “very successful arrangement”.

Though Singapore’s government previously confirmed that it had paid Swift to bring her tour to the country, it stopped short of confirming whether the grant was given as part of an exclusivity clause.

In parliament on Monday, Edwin Tong, minister of culture, community and youth, said the government was considering “appropriate measures” after details of the concert deal leaked.

According to national broadcaster CNA, Singapore paid between US$2 million to US$3 million for Swift’s six dates in the city state.

Lee’s comments on Tuesday came as neighbouring countries had earlier expressed their ire at the deal.

He has since vowed to attract top performers to the kingdom, with a range of new measures in the pipelines. “We can bring A-listers and world-class acts to Thailand. This must be done,” Reuters quoted Srettha as saying.

02:14

Singapore Taylor Swift concert draws fans from every corner of Southeast Asia

The region’s Swifties, as fans of the US pop act are known, have been divided over the issue. While some criticised Singapore for being opportunistic and preventing them from seeing their favourite star, others praised the government for securing a deal that is expected to bring in a multimillion-dollar windfall.

Swift’s four concerts in Tokyo last month boosted the local economy by an estimated US$228 million, according to a report from Japanese research firm EconomicImpact.net.

Singapore’s tourism board and culture ministry last month defended the money paid for Swift’s concerts, saying in a statement that the shows were likely to “generate significant benefits to the Singapore