It was an exhilarating moment when the renowned American singer-songwriter, Taylor Swift, officially announced her upcoming performances in Singapore for three consecutive days in March 2024.
Singaporean Taylor Swift fans are eagerly seeking to secure a concert ticket for this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to personally interact with their idol.
There even “Swifties” took to action by sending direct messages to Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong, and Minister for Education (MOE) Chan Chun Sing, requesting their consideration to announce a school holiday on the day of Taylor Swift’s concert ticket sales.
Taylor Swift’s “The Eras Tour” concert in Singapore is scheduled for March 2, 3, and 4 next year. The presale of tickets for UOB cardmembers will take place from July 5 to July 6, followed by the general on-sale on July 7.
Given the high demand, online ticket sales are expected to be fiercely competitive, leading Swifties willing to spend their whole mornings vying for a place in the queue to place their order.
“I know you’re secretly a Swiftie too,” a Swiftie told PM Lee
A series of screenshots shared by TikToker hei.d1, show how a passionate Swiftie reached out to ministers, appealing for a school holiday on the mentioned dates, and affectionately referring to Taylor Swift as ‘mother’.
In the text message, the Swiftie wrote, “Hi PM Lee, can you make an official announcement to declare school holiday for 5 July and 7 July, please? I want to get Taylor Swift tickets. I never seen my mother for 17 years already leh.”
The Swiftie even adjusted the color theme of the conversation box to express her deep adoration and passion for Taylor Swift, adding, “PM, I know you’re secretly a Swiftie too, please.”
In another message sent to DPM Wong, the Swiftie promised to be a responsible student and attend school every day if DPM managed to convince MOE to grant Swifties a school holiday on the specified date.
Furthermore, she extended an invitation to both DPM Wong and MOE Minister Chan, suggesting they dress up and attend Taylor Swift’s concert together.
Swifties plead with Taylor Swift for an extended 7-day concert in Singapore, aiming to surpass Coldplay
In another screenshot, a Swiftie is seen reaching out to Taylor Swift’s official Facebook page, passionately urging for additional concert dates in Singapore. They propose that Taylor Swift break Coldplay’s record and extend her concert to a remarkable seven days.
The British band Coldplay’s “Music of the Spheres World Tour” is scheduled to take place from January 23 to January 31, 2024, encompassing a total of six days of concerts.
Even with two additional dates added on January 30 and 31, 2024, all tickets were completely sold out during the online ticket sale held on June 19 and 20.
Request to UOB that the UOB cardmembers presale be limited exclusively to Singaporean fans
The Swiftie’s determination continued as she reached out to the official Facebook page of UOB Group in another text message screenshot. She requested that the UOB cardmembers presale be limited exclusively to Singaporean fans.
In an attempt to persuade UOB, she made a bargain by saying, “If you change (the rule limited) to Singaporean only, I will help you secure a ticket, okay?” She also added some flattering words, saying, “You look sexy today.”
TikTokers find entertainment in the enthusiastic Swiftie’s Plea to Ministers
The screenshot capturing the passionate Swiftie’s appeal to ministers has brought a sense of amusement to other TikTokers.
Among Taylor Swift’s fans, there were suggestions that went beyond requesting a school holiday, with some proposing that the Prime Minister should declare a national holiday instead.
The Swiftie sought advice from fellow netizens on whom she should address her appeal to, and some suggested writing to Edwin Tong, the Minister for Culture, Community and Youth (MCCY).
Minister for Education responded
In a recent Facebook post on Friday (23 June), Minister for Education Chan Chun Sing responded to the overwhelming requests from passionate Swifties.
“I hear you, I feel you,” he expressed. “But I am also mindful of how fans of Coldplay, Blackpink, BTS, Beyoncé, and others would feel.”
Sarcastically, he expressed his humorous concern about the potential impact of excessive demands for celebrity concerts in Singapore, jokingly mentioning that “some overseas reports have suggested” it could fuel inflation.
Minister Chan amusingly proposed an alternative solution: he asked if any creative and enterprising Swifties could invite Taylor Swift or any other A-list artists to perform at their school, free of charge.
“In that case, we could consider declaring a school holiday. This way, everyone can enjoy this inclusive concert! ”
However, Minister Chan playfully envisioned a “conundrum”: if their idol did turn up and the school declared a holiday, would Swifties still show up to school on that day?
“Ok, if you can invite her to your school to perform free of charge, your school will have the next day off?”
