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Taylor Swift in Singapore for six shows!
It’s your loss, Malaysia!
KUALA LUMPUR, March 2, 2024: Just study the image above on the facts of the recent Taylor Swift Concert in Singapore.
The concert lifted the tiny island republic’s economy by 0.25 percentage point in Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in the first quarter this year.
The economic effect of each Swift concert (six shows were staged) saw 300,000 concertgoers spending S$1,385 (RM4,847) or a total S$415.5 million (RM1.454 billion).
It’s Malaysians and Malaysia’s enormous economic loss to protest international concerts to be staged in Malaysia. Please continue with your bigoted views to your and country’s peril.
Ultimately, no foreigners will want to come to Malaysia! Imagine what then? And Jakim (Department of Islamic Development Malaysia), where will the Government get the billions in annual funds to feed you should the economy collapse?
No News Is Bad News reproduces below related news reports on the issue:
Look What Taylor Swift’s Exclusive Singapore Shows Made Its Southeast Asian Neighbors Do
FEBRUARY 29, 2024 10:30 PM EST
Fans across Southeast Asia were seeing Red when news broke last year that Singapore would be the only regional stop for Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour. But as concertgoers swarm to Singapore for the pop star’s six sold-out shows starting this weekend, it seems like Bad Blood is also brewing among neighboring government officials, amid allegations that Singaporean authorities specifically brokered a deal for TIME’s 2023 Person of the Year to Stay Stay Stay in the city-state.
On Wednesday, Philippine lawmaker Joey Salceda called on the Philippines’ Department of Foreign Affairs to pressure its Singaporean counterpart agency for an explanation on the Delicate situation, local media reported.
“If true, [this] isn’t what good neighbors do,” said Salceda, adding that while the grant gave a significant boost to Singapore’s economy, “it was at the expense of neighboring countries, which could not attract their own foreign concert goers, and whose fans had to go to Singapore.”
“It also runs contrary to the principle of consensus-based relations and solidarity on which the ASEAN was founded,” he said, referring to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, a body that helps to coordinate cooperation in the region.
How You Get the Girl
Speculations of an exclusivity deal between Singapore and Taylor Swift’s were first brought up by Thai Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, who told a Bangkok business forum on Feb. 16 that he had heard from Swift’s concert promoter Anschutz Entertainment Group (AEG) that the Singapore government had offered up to $3 million to Swift’s team for each of the show’s she would put on in Singapore, in exchange for a promise not to perform anywhere else in Southeast Asia during her Eras Tour.
AEG did not immediately respond to TIME’s request for comment, while Singapore’s tourism and youth authorities confirmed to TIME in a joint statement that the tourism board had “supported the event through a grant” without specifying the sum or details of any restrictive clause.
“If I had known this, I would have brought the shows to Thailand,” Srettha said at the forum, describing the Singapore government as “clever” for allegedly brokering an exclusive deal with the organizers.
There’s little wonder why governments are desperate to have Swift grace their stadiums. The Grammy-winning singer is known to revitalize local economies wherever she goes. More than 300,000 tickets have been sold for Swift’s Singapore shows, and buzz surrounding the concert is giving the city-state a phenomenal economic boost. Tourists traveling in to catch Swift’s performance have driven up local hotel and flight prices by up to 30%, and experts estimate that Swift’s concerts could generate up to $500 million in tourism revenue—along with the cascading economic impact of the city solidifying its reputation as a massive events hub.
The youth ministry, its statement to TIME said, “recognized that there will be significant demand from Singaporeans as well as fans across the region for her to perform in Singapore, and worked directly with AEG Presents for Taylor Swift to perform in Singapore.”
You Belong With Me
While some are decrying Singapore’s maneuver, others see opportunity in trying to replicate its success. Indonesia’s tourism minister told Bloomberg earlier this month that they “need ‘Swiftonomics’ for Indonesian tourism” and were introducing policies to entice more tourists to visit the country, including a seed fund of up to 2 trillion rupiah (about $127 million) per year to support music, sports, and cultural events.
And last week, when asked if Hong Kong would consider “similar arrangements” when trying to attract pop concerts to revive the city’s post-pandemic economy—in reference to Swift’s alleged deal in Singapore—the Chinese enclave’s leader John Lee said: “Amid Hong Kong’s fierce competition with other cities that have been striving to improve themselves, we have to be relentless in our efforts to lure mega events including matches, sports events and cultural events.”
Hong Kong authorities recently dedicated nearly $2 million in grants to welcome TIME’s 2023 Athlete of the Year Lionel Messi and his team Inter Miami to the city for a friendly match—though that ended in a PR disaster. - TIME
Coldplay concert to go ahead in Malaysia amid opposition from conservative Muslims
This article is more than 3 months old
‘Kill switch’ to cut power in case of an ‘unwanted incident’ was discussed, but the band’s support of Palestine has endeared them to prime minister
Wed 22 Nov 2023 10.22 GMT
A Coldplay concert is going ahead in Malaysia on Wednesday despite opposition from conservative Muslims in the country, but the band could face a “kill switch” that cuts off the show if they seriously offend cultural sensibilities.
Following outcry over a same-sex kiss between members of the 1975 at a Kuala Lumpur concert in July, earlier this month deputy communications and digital minister Teo Nie Ching introduced a ruling that concert organisers must have “a kill switch that will cut off electricity during any performance if there is any unwanted incident”.
Communications and digital minister Fahmi Fadzilit said use of the switch is “one of the things we have discussed with the organiser” of Coldplay’s Kuala Lumpur concert, but said he didn’t foresee problems. “The prime minister has also said the band is very supportive of Palestine. So, we are upbeat about the concert today,” he said.
Prime minister Anwar Ibrahim told the country’s parliament earlier this week: “Why should we stop a group that supports the Palestinian cause from performing?” He had been asked whether the concert was inappropriate during the conflict in Gaza.
Chris Martin recently told an audience in Japan: “We don’t believe in oppression, or occupation, terrorism or genocide … you can send [love and kindness] to Gaza and Israel, you can send it to the West Bank,” also naming Azerbaijan, Armenia, Ukraine, Russia, Iran, Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo. In 2011, Coldplay promoted the charity single Freedom for Palestine on their Facebook page, and in 2019 collaborated with Palestinian band Le Trio Joubran on the song Arabesque, included on the album Everyday Life.
Conservative Muslims in Malaysia have opposed Coldplay’s concert due to the band’s support for the LGBTQ+ community. Ahmad Fadhli Shaari, information chief of Islamic party PAS, said in parliament: “This is not about whether they purely support the Palestinian cause or not but the issue of hedonism culture that they bring to our community.” In a post on social media in May, PAS called for the cancellation of the concert, saying the band encouraged “a culture of hedonism and perversion”, pairing the statement with a picture of Martin holding a rainbow flag.
Police forces and concert promoter Live Nation Malaysia have warned concertgoers not to behave provocatively, the latter asking them to be “mindful of local cultures and sensitivities”.
Last week, conservative Muslim demonstrators clashed with police outside Gelora Bung Karno stadium in Jakarta, Indonesia, where Coldplay were performing. A banner reportedly read: “Reject, cancel and disband Coldplay concerts.” Indonesian politicians also opposed the concert, with Anwar Abbas of the Indonesian Ulema Council saying: “We know that Coldplay supports LGBT+, but now the question is, is the LGBT+ behaviour in line with … our constitution? There are six religions recognised in this country, and not one of them allows and tolerates LGBT+ practice.”
Matty Healy kisses bandmate Ross MacDonald onstage in Kuala Lumpa, Malaysia. Photograph: Sky news
Both conservative Muslims and Malaysia’s LGBTQ+ community were critical of the kiss between the 1975’s Matty Healy and Ross MacDonald on stage in Kuala Lumpur in July. The entire Good Vibes festival was cut short following the swift cancellation of the 1975’s set, prompting the festival to began legal proceedings against the band.
Healy remains unrepentant, telling a crowd at a Texas concert in October that the kiss was a longstanding part of their stage show: “To eliminate any routine part of the show in an effort to appease the Malaysian authorities’ bigoted views of LGBTQ people would be a passive endorsement of those politics. As liberals are so fond of saying, ‘Silence causes violence, use your platform’, so we did that … If you truly believe that artists have a responsibility to uphold their liberal virtues by using their massive platforms, then those artists should be judged by the danger and inconvenience that they face for doing so, not by the rewards they receive for parroting consensus.”
Coldplay, meanwhile, continue their Music of the Spheres tour, which began in March 2022 and aims to reduce carbon emissions by 50% compared with their previous world tour. Excluding the current east Asian leg, it has grossed $668m so far, and will continue into 2024 with 37 dates across Europe and Oceania. There is a conspicuous gap in their European tour schedule over the weekend of the 2024 Glastonbury festival, leading fans to hope for a fifth headline set there.
Coldplay’s KL concert makes history as most attended concert of their career
Coldplay’s first concert in Malaysia sold a record-breaking 81,812 tickets, making it their most attended concert. — Picture via X/coldcharts
By Sofianni Subki
Friday, 09 Feb 2024 11:39 AM MYT
KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 9 — It was a dream come true for over 80,000 fans when Coldplay held their very first concert in Malaysia on Nov 22, 2023.
The very eagerly-awaited concert by the seven-time Grammy-winning British pop rock band sold 81,812 tickets, making it the most attended concert of their career.
Coldplay Charts posted on X: “Coldplay’s gig at Kuala Lumpur’s Bukit Jalil National Stadium grossed $10,904,369 (RM51.9 million) from 81,812 tickets sold.
“It’s the most attended concert of their career!”
Unlike Singapore, where Coldplay performed for six nights, Kuala Lumpur only had one night, which proved to be an unforgettable electrifying two-hour show despite the heavy rain.
Coldplay performed a repertoire of 26 songs and delivered a musical experience that surpassed expectations. - Malay Mail
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