Taylor Swift, Singer and Songwriter. Image: Reuters
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Before reviewing the international reaction to Taylor Swift's concert, The Eras Tour, it is interesting to first examine the figure of Taylor Swift, and what kind of power she has in international relations, which is able to influence the dynamics of international relations today, even potentiallyinfluencing the foreign policies of a number of countries, including foreign political constellations.
Taylor Swift As an Individual Actor in International Relations
As a well-known individual in the world of international entertainment, Taylor Swift has a significant influence on international relations, especially for the United States. Taylor Swift played a big role in introducing American culture to fans in various parts of the world. Through his music and performances, he may have influenced people's perceptions of the United States and promoted values such as freedom, individualism, and creativity.
We know that Taylor Swift has millions of fans around the world who of course always follow her activities and opinions. Thus, his statements or actions can have a major impact on public opinion on certain issues, including social, political and humanitarian issues. For example, Taylor Swift has been involved in various humanitarian and advocacy campaigns, including her support for the rights of vulnerable groups such as LGBT, women, and other humanitarian issues (Levine, 2019).
In addition, its presence and popularity in various countries can help strengthen cultural ties between the United States and other countries, as well as increase the positive image of the United States in the eyes of the world. Although Taylor Swift's role in international relations may not be as strong as that of countries or international organizations, her influence as a well-known public figure remains significant in shaping opinion, inspiring action, and strengthening relations between various groups. and communities at the global level.
Currently Taylor Swift is holding her sixth concert in various parts of the world. This concert is known as The Eras Tour and is one of the biggest music concerts in the world today because of its success in winning the hearts of millions of fans around the world (Priherdityo, 2024). Taylor Swift's The Eras Tour has been held on a large scale in the United States since March 2023 in Arizona, and the international scale tour will start in August 2023 and will end in August 2024 (Huff, 2023).
Apart from America, The Eras Tour is also held in Europe, Australia and Asia, which recently took place in Singapore. This concert event drew various international reactions from various parts of the world. These reactions further strengthen Taylor Swift's bargaining position as an individual actor in international relations. This also indicates that the involvement of individual actors in international relations is very significant.
After Taylor Swift released the schedule and locations for The Eras Tour in Europe and Asia in 2023, a number of leaders of countries whose countries were not on the list of tour locations began to give various reactions to it. One of them is the Canadian prime minister, Justin Trudeau, who openly expressed his desire for Canada to be used as one of the locations for The Eras Tour (Miller, 2023). In his Tweet, Justin Trudeau said:
"It's me, hi. I know there are a lot of places in Canada that would love to have you. So don't make it a cruel summer. We hope to see you soon."
This invitation tweet was sent by the Canadian prime minister shortly after Taylor Swift expressed her excitement over the addition of 14 new shows to her 2024 European Eras Tour, but not a single Canadian city was included in the list of new shows in question. This then made Justin react through his tweet to Taylor Swift.
Apart from Canada, the leader of the country who also hopes for Taylor's presence in his country is the president of Chile, Gabriel Boric. However, Chile is also not on the list of destination countries for The Eras Tour in Latin America and South America released by Taylor Swift in June 2023. The President of Chile also reacted and responded by proclaiming himself to be a fan of Taylor Swift or Swifties (Aniftos, 2023).
Gabriel Boric gave more or less the same reaction as the Canadian prime minister, who said in a video via the YouTube platform that he had written a letter of request to Taylor Swift in the hope of one day including Chile on her Latin American tour. . Gabriel Boric hopes that Taylor Swift will respond positively to his invitation, and he confidently hopes that one day he will hear Taylor's songs from Chili (Hugh McIntyre, 2023).
Meanwhile, the Mayor of Budapest, Gergely Karácsony, also joined world leaders in requesting Taylor Swift's presence in their respective countries. Gergely Karácsony's ambition to bring Taylor Swift to Hungary can be seen from his actions, who also wrote a letter to Taylor Swift to urge the American singer to consider Hungary as one of the destination countries for The Eras Tour. Gergely Karácsony also emphasized that his government will do everything they can to get Taylor Swift to come to their city (Magyar HÃrlap, 2023).
Reaction of ASEAN countries
If most countries reacted to her non-involvement in The Eras Tour with appeals to Taylor Swift, it seems like the situation in Southeast Asia is a bit different in that regard. This is because several countries consider that Taylor Swift's absence in their country is part of fraudulent and monopolistic practices carried out by Singapore, which wants to gain more profits from the concert, and close opportunities for other Southeast Asian countries.
Singapore is the only country in Southeast Asia to be the location for The Eras Tour, and has managed to occupy the position as the most numerous Eras Tour concerts in Asia Pacific. In Singapore, The Eras Tour will be held for 6 days, namely 2-4 March 2024 and will continue on 7-9 March 2024 (cnn Indonesia 2024).
In February 2024, the Prime Minister of Thailand, Srettha Thavisin, accused Singapore of paying Taylor Swift to perform only in Singapore and not in other Southeast Asian countries. Srettha said that Singapore had entered into exclusive contracts with Taylor Swift's management by paying her 3,000,000 USD for each show if she agreed to hold an exclusive concert only in Singapore (Fadhill, 2024).
The Philippines also reacted to The Eras Tour in Singapore. Philippine Member of Parliament, Joey Salceda, criticized Singapore for alleging that the country had made an exclusivity agreement which then prevented Taylor Swift from holding her Eras Tour in other ASEAN countries including the Philippines. In his statement, Joey Salceda said "This is not what a good neighbor would do"(Riani 2024).
Apart from that, The Eras Tour has also become an internal topic of discussion for a number of countries in ASEAN, including Indonesia and Malaysia. In a recent parliamentary meeting in Malaysia, the issue of Taylor Swift's concert did not escape the discussion of the Malaysian government. Meanwhile, although they don't react much and criticize Singapore like other countries, a number of ministers in Indonesia also often discuss Taylor Swift's concerts and say that in the future Indonesia could also hold similar concerts.
Why is The Eras Tour Created?
The international reaction to Taylor Swift's concert, The Eras Tour, seems very reasonable and very realistic. The reason is, The Eras Tour has several positive impacts on the countries it visits, especially on improving the country's economy.
The Eras Tour can be a significant tourist attraction for the countries visited. Fans from various parts of the world will certainly be interested in coming to watch the concert. This has the potential to increase the number of tourists visiting the countries where the Eras Tour is located. This condition can benefit the local tourism industry by increasing income from hotels, restaurants, souvenir shops and other services.
For example, in North America, revenues from Eras Tour are predicted to generate around IDR 34 trillion. Meanwhile in Singapore, it is estimated that Singapore's tourism income after the Eras Tour will reach between 350 million and 500 million Singapore dollars (CNBC, 2024).
Additionally, fans coming from out of town or even overseas to see The Eras Tour will likely spend their money during their visit. This can include the costs of accommodation, transport, food, shopping and other activities, which have the potential to make a significant contribution to the local economy. In Singapore, for example, from this event alone, the surge in hotel bookings in Singapore has jumped 10-30 percent.
Income from sales of Taylor Swift concert tickets and merchandise can also have a significant economic impact on the countries visited. Increased ticket and merchandise sales can create a substantial revenue stream.
Data shows that Taylor Swift fans spend an average of approximately IDR 20,000,000 per person to buy tickets for travel to and from the concert venue, and to wear clothing appropriate to the type on the tour (CNBC, 2024).
Lastly, The Eras Tour can also serve as a promotional platform for the countries visited. Through the media coverage and global exposure generated by the concert, the country can gain great visibility as a tourist destination, which can strengthen its image and appeal as a tourist destination.