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Pop star Taylor Swift surprised her fans and social media followers by revealing that she had taken her entire family on a vacation trip. The singer, known for her love for her family, shared several pictures on her Instagram account where she can be seen enjoying various activities with her loved ones. The photos show Swift spending quality time with her parents and her brother.

The trip seems to be a much-needed break for the Grammy-winning artist, who is known for her busy schedule. Swift has been in the music industry for over a decade and has released several successful albums. She is known for her catchy pop songs and often writes about her personal experiences, which have resonated with audiences worldwide.

Swift is no stranger to surprises, as she has often surprised her fans with music releases and unexpected appearances. However, taking her entire family on a vacation is a new level of surprise for her fans. Many fans took to social media to express their excitement and admiration for the singer’s dedication to her family.

 

This act of taking her family on a trip shows Swift’s commitment to her loved ones and her desire to spend quality time with them despite her busy schedule. Fans are happy to see their favorite pop star taking a break and enjoying some well-deserved time off. It is clear that family is an important aspect of Swift’s life, and this surprise trip has only reinforced that belief.

Travis Kelce was spotted dancing and singing along to Taylor Swift at her concert in Singapore. The NFL star enthusiastically grooved to her songs in a VIP box alongside his girlfriend and best friend. Kelce’s funny moves captured fans’ attention on social media, with many praising his support for Swift. The couple has been traveling the world to show support for each other, with Swift even attending Kelce’s Super Bowl game. The pair started dating in 2023 and are reportedly planning to get engaged soon. Kelce recently had an emotional moment on his podcast when his brother announced his retirement from football. Despite the tears, Kelce expressed gratitude for his brother’s support throughout their football careers.

 

Taylor Swift changed lyrics in her song at her Eras Tour performance in Singapore to shout out boyfriend Travis Kelce, referencing him as “the guy on the Chiefs.” Kelce, 34, was seen dancing in excitement below the stage. He flew to Singapore with friends to see Swift’s concert, where he sang and danced along. After the show, Swift ran offstage to share a kiss and embrace with Kelce. They have not been seen together since his visit to Sydney in February, where they enjoyed dates at the zoo and on a boat. Kelce, who recently supported his retiring brother Jason, still wears Swift’s friendship bracelets. The power couple may reunite at Swift’s final Singapore show before she takes a two-month break from touring.

 

Swift revealed the new version will have a bonus track titled “The Black Dog” during the second of six shows at the Singapore National Stadium on Sunday night

 

Taylor Swift performs at Accor Stadium in Sydney on Feb. 23, 2024. PHOTO:

DON ARNOLD/TAS24/GETTY

Taylor Swift won’t be shaking off Singapore any time soon!

On Sunday night, the “All Too Well” singer, 34, took the stage in Singpore to perform for about 55,000 fans and made a surprise announcement.

During her second show at the Singapore National Stadium, Swift, while sitting at her piano, revealed the fourth and final version of her upcoming album, The Tortured Poets Department.

A fan post on X (formerly known as Twitter) showed that an image of the new version of the album appeared behind her on stage, revealing the bonus track for this edition is titled “The Black Dog.” Previously unseen artwork of Swift running her hands through her hair was also included.

The pop superstar also shared the news on Instagram, alongside an image of the same artwork that appeared during her show.

“’Old habits die screaming…’ File Name: The Black Dog 🖤,” she wrote, adding, “Pre-order the final new edition of THE TORTURED POETS DEPARTMENT with exclusive bonus track ‘The Black Dog’ on my website now.”

Swift also included a second image of the album’s track listing in her post, which featured a separate shot of Swift with the words “Old habits die screaming” written across it.

On Feb. 23 Swift announced the third special edition of the album with bonus track “The Albatross,” while on stage during an Eras Tour show in Sydney. The second version, featuring bonus track, “The Bolter,” was revealed during Swift’s Melbourne show on Feb. 16, while the original announcement of the new album was made during the singer’s acceptance speech when she won best pop vocal album for her album Midnights at the 2024 Grammy Awards on Feb. 4. The first version of the album features bonus track, “The Manuscript.”

Meanwhile, Swift’s Sunday performance marked the second of six shows she’ll perform in Singapore. Swift will perform another show on Monday night and then have a two-day break before returning to the Eras Tour stage again on Thursday for three more nights.

On Saturday, Swift delighted fans when she shared that Singapore holds special meaning for her, because of her mom, Andrea Swift.

“My mom actually spent a lot of her childhood with her mom and dad and sister growing up in Singapore,” she told the crowd, as captured in a video posted on X.

“So a lot of the time when we’d come here on tour, my mom would take me and drive me past her old house, where she used to go to school. So I’ve been hearing about Singapore my whole life,” she added.

Before Singapore, Swift treated her fans in Sydney, Australia to moments she described as “magical” in an Instagram post reflecting on her time in the city down under.

While there, she sang a mashup of her songs “White Horse” and “Coney Island” with her supporting act Sabrina Carpenter after a weather delay forced the 24-year-old “Emails I Can’t Send” singer’s set to be canceled for a night.

Taylor Swift performs in Sydney on Feb. 23, 2024.

DON ARNOLD/TAS24/GETTY

All of the Celebrities Who’ve Attended Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour So Far

Swift favored mashups during the surprise portion of her sets in Sydney. Her third show there featured a medley of her song “Haunted” with her 2020 song “Exile,” which is featured on folklore.

That same night, she also mashed up the 2023 1989 (Taylor’s Version) vault track “Is It Over Now?” with another song from that album, “I Wish You Would.”

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Taylor Swift on ‘The Eras Tour’ stage.

JOHN SHEARER/TAS23/GETTY

The “Love Story” singer’s Sydney stint drew celebrities to the crowd of 81,000 fans at Accor Stadium in Sydney, including Katy Perry, Rebel Wilson, and Swift’s boyfriend, Travis Kelce.

The Super Bowl champion tight end for the Kansas City Chiefs, 34, even handed out guitar picks to Swift’s fans in the crowd during her first show in Sydney, a job that’s usually reserved for her dad, Scott.

Eunice Mecija, a Taylor Swift fan from the Philippines, shared how she budgeted for the Eras Tour in Singapore.
Mecija’s journey includes a flight to Malaysia, and then a bus trip to Singapore.
She said it’s worth splurging on the trip as she has been a Swiftie since she was in elementary school.

This as-told-to story is based on a conversation with Eunice Mecija, a 24-year-old graphic artist and Taylor Swift fan from the Philippines. It’s been edited for length and clarity. Business Insider verified Mecija’s expenses.

I’ve been a Taylor Swift fan for as long as I can remember. When I was in elementary school, my dad and I used to bond over Taylor’s music during car rides. We often purchased her burned pirated CDs at a local mall in Manila, the capital of the Philippines, where I live.

 

I’ve had to follow Taylor from afar. The last time she had a concert in the Philippines was in 2014 during her Red Tour. So when it was announced that Taylor’s only Eras Tour stop in Southeast Asia was in Singapore, I knew missing my favorite artist was out of the question. Singapore was one of the five countries I traveled to last year, and knowing how safe the city-state is influenced my decision to secure tickets.

Taylor Swift’s Red Tour in 2014 had multiple stops in Southeast Asia.Nicky Loh/TAS/Getty Images

Expense: Concert ticket

How much it cost: $294

My friend’s sister lives in Singapore, so she helped me score a ticket during the pre-sale for cardholders with United Overseas Bank. There were over 1 million people in the virtual line to snag tickets.

I managed to purchase a Category 3 ticket for $294.

Expense: International transportation — flight and bus

How much it cost: $260

The next step was to book flights to Singapore. Direct flights from Manila on carriers like Singapore Airlines and Scoot were already sold out. I decided to book a flight from Manila to Kuala Lumpur with AirAsia instead for 14,000 Philippine pesos, or around $250.

To get to Singapore, I booked a return bus ticket from Kuala Lumpur to the city-state for 664 pesos, which is way cheaper than flying there.

I’ve planned to be in Singapore from March 6 to 9 to catch the concert. I’m also planning to spend three days before and after the concert in the Malaysian capital. I invited my parents to join me in Kuala Lumpur in the days following the concert.

I booked six nights at a four-star hotel in Kuala Lumpur, which cost 335 Malaysia ringgit, or around $70, per night. That amounted to some $420 in total.

Mecija has been a fan of Taylor Swift since she was in elementary school.Courtesy of Eunice Mecija

In Singapore, I booked a four-star hotel for 311 Singapore dollars, or around $230, per night. For three nights, it cost me $690.

In total, I budgeted a little over $1,600 for this trip. I avoid being too tight with money on vacations as I enjoy some luxuries on my trips. After all, why settle for less when you can treat yourself a little?

I’m also gearing up for another trip to Stockholm for Taylor’s Eras Tour stop there in May. I managed to snag the “We Never Go Out of Style” package, which cost 2,625 Swedish krona, or $250. That includes a reserved standing room, early entrance privileges, and VIP perks. Surprisingly, international tickets were more affordable than typical concert tickets in the Philippines, which can cost more than $300 for the best categories.

Overall, I feel like it was absolutely worth it to splurge on this trip. Many of my friends are Swifties, and they were supportive and happy that I could finally see Taylor in person. And I’m excited to indulge in Singapore’s food scene again. I’ve been craving the perfect fishball noodle for a year and can’t wait to have a feast at a local food court.

Read the original article on Business Insider

City-state’s culture minister says grant given to pop icon ‘not anywhere as high as speculated’.

 

Singapore has downplayed the size of a grant it paid Taylor Swift after the city-state’s efforts to lure the pop icon led to complaints from regional neighbours.

Singapore’s Culture Minister Edwin Tong said on Monday that speculation about the size of the grant was “not accurate”.

“I can say that it is not accurate and not anywhere as high as speculated, but due to business confidentiality, we cannot reveal the specific size and conditions of the grant,” Tong told Parliament in response to questions from lawmakers.

Tong said the government was also confident that the economic benefits of Swift’s six concert dates in the city would be “significant and outweigh the size of the grant”.

Tong’s remarks come after Thailand’s Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin last month told a business forum that Singapore had paid Swift between $2m and $3m on the condition she not perform in any other country in Southeast Asia.

“If I had known this, I would have brought the shows to Thailand,” Srettha was quoted as saying in the Bangkok Post. “Concerts can generate added value for the economy.”

Philippine legislator Joey Salceda last week called on Manila to grill Singapore about the reported grant, saying such behaviour is “not what good neighbours do”.

Singapore officials had previously acknowledged offering Swift a grant to come to the city-state, without disclosing its terms, due to the benefits she would have on tourism-related sectors such as accommodation, retail and dining.

Singapore’s Channel News Asia has reported that hotels and airlines saw demand for flights and accommodation around the dates of the concerts jump by up to 30 percent.

Apart from four shows in Japan last month, Swift’s concerts in Singapore are the only stops she is making in Asia as part of her The Eras Tour.

The sold-out shows, which run until March 9, are being attended by some 300,000 fans, including those from neighbouring countries such as Indonesia, Thailand and the Philippines.

Swift, one of the most successful music artists of all time with 14 Grammy wins and hundreds of millions of album sales worldwide, performed the first of her Singapore concerts on Saturday, after wrapping up the Australian leg of her tour last week with a show in front of 81,000 fans at Sydney’s Accor Stadium.

“Living out her fangirling moment”: Fans go gaga as BLACKPINK’s Lisa and Taylor Swift get clicked together after the Eras Singapore concert

shinee/Instagram, lalalalisa_m/Instagram

Thai singer-rapper Lalisa Manobal (centre in left photo), better known as Lisa from K-pop group Blackpink, in Singapore posing with K-pop group Shinee, and with American pop singer Taylor Swift (right photo).

While some concertgoers have been experiencing Swiftmania here after American singer Taylor Swift performed over the weekend, others were swept up by another celebrity making her way around town.

Thai singer-rapper Lalisa Manobal, better known as Lisa, from renowned K-pop group Blackpink, was spotted at various events in Singapore.

From attending Shinee and Taylor Swift’s concerts to having a hotpot meal, here is a rundown of Lisa’s itinerary.

The Blackpink member’s appearance at Changi Airport’s Terminal 1 last Thursday (Feb 29) evening had online users and the media wondering if she was in town for Swift’s concert, which started over the weekend.

Lisa’s arrival appeared to be low-key, with only about a dozen fans waiting for her at the arrival hall, based on videos circulating online. Dressed down in a white tee, jeans and a cap, the 26-year-old waved at fans and accepted their gifts, which included a yellow Care Bear plushie, a crochet sunflower and some fan mail.

The mystery of the purpose behind Lisa’s visit to Singapore, which CNA Lifestyle dubbed as the “curious case of Lisa”, was solved when she was spotted at K-pop boy band Shinee’s concert on Saturday.

She was supporting her “sunbaes” — Korean for people who are senior and have more experience at work — at their long-awaited Shinee World VI: Perfect Illumination tour in the Singapore Indoor Stadium.

Although there was no footage of Lisa at the concert, she took a group photo after the show with the trio. She was in a blue-striped to match their concert get-ups.

The veteran boy band, who have been crowned the “Princes of K-pop”, last performed in Singapore in 2012. On Sunday, Lisa attended the second night of Swift’s Eras Tour concert at the Singapore National Stadium.

Videos of her entering the concert venue with her friend, fellow Thai singer Sorn, soon surfaced on the internet.

Lisa was wearing a black fishnet top with a leather skirt and armed herself with the most crucial accessory for all Taylor Swift concerts — friendship bracelets.

Showing off her real arm candy from the concert — Swift herself — Lisa wrote on Instagram on Monday: “Had such a blast at The Eras Tour! Amazing performance.”

The K-pop singer was spotted singing along to Swift’s hits and trading friendship bracelets with one fan.

It was no surprise that fan cams of Lisa jamming along and busting out some serious dance moves to Swift’s songs such as Don’t Blame Me and You Belong to Me flooded the internet soon after the concert.

Many were envious of the fan who managed to swop bracelets with Lisa, praising Lisa for being “humble” and “sweet”.

One online user exclaimed: “I’ve never felt this jealous in my entire life, so lucky!!!!!”

The tradition of exchanging friendship bracelets at Swift’s concert comes from the lyrics of a song on Swift’s 2022 album Midnights.

“So make the friendship bracelets, take the moment and taste it,” Swift sang.

After the concert, Lisa met the American singer-songwriter backstage and they snapped a couple of photos together.

Footage online also showed her chatting with Swift’s opening act, American singer Sabrina Carpenter, during the concert.

Other celebrities and politicians spotted at Swift’s concert included Mandopop singer JJ Lin, Shinee’s Choi Minho, TikTok’s chief executive officer Chew Shou Zi and Johor prince Tunku Idris Iskandar.

To end the night, Lisa headed off with Sorn to Haidilao hotpot restaurant at Marina Square mall for a post-concert supper.

She reportedly exchanged friendship bracelets with a Haidilao staff member and also gave the person a hug.

In February, Lisa announced that she will be launching her own artiste management company Lloud.

She will also be making her acting debut in the third season of hit American HBO television series The White Lotus.

Singapore is expected to earn hundreds of millions of dollars thanks to the increased number of tourists, money spent on air tickets, hotels, and tickets to see The Eras Tour.On March 4, The Straits Times reported that Edwin Tong – Singapore’s Minister of Culture, Community and Youth – told Parliament that Singapore’s economy will benefit greatly from Taylor Swift’s 6-night concert The Eras Tour. .

 

“I can assure you that the economic benefits to Singapore are significant and outweigh the size of the grant,” he said, noting direct economic benefits include increased tourist arrivals, Airfare, hotel as well as expenses for entertainment, dining and shopping activities in Singapore.

Online, there are various discussions about the size of the Singapore government’s sponsorship for the concert. Mr. Edwin Tong affirmed that all speculations are incorrect. “Those numbers are not true and not as high as rumored. But due to business secrets, we cannot disclose the size and specific conditions of the grant,” he added.​

Mr. Edwin Tong said Singapore’s economy benefits greatly from Taylor Swift. Photo: CNA.
Last month, The Straits Times reported that economists estimated Singapore’s tourism revenue would increase by about $500 million. However, the actual number must wait until after the end of the concert on March 9.

The Eras Tour in Singapore is Taylor Swift’s first Southeast Asia tour, taking place in 6 nights, including March 2-3-4 and March 7-8-9. The first night, Singapore National Stadium was filled with 55,000 spectators. The following nights recorded equally large audiences. Many international artists such as Lisa (BlackPink) and SHINee’s Minho also appeared on the music show.

The worldwide hit tour brought Swift huge profits, helping her rise to the rank of billionaire. In December 2023, Guinness recognized her The Eras Tour as the highest-grossing concert series of all time, reaching more than one billion USD, surpassing Elton John’s record of 939 million USD. Singers earn about 85% of total ticket sales – a high ratio that is rare in the music industry.

The bracelet was on display as the Chiefs tight end attended his brother’s emotional press conference on Monday.

 

Travis Kelce had a piece of his heart (Taylor Swift) close to him as he attended brother Jason Kelce’s emotional retirement press conference.

On Monday, Travis was joined by his parents, Donna and Ed Kelce, as they attended the press conference inside of the NovaCare Complex in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania — where Jason announced he would be retiring after 13 seasons with the Eagles.

Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images)

In one of the more emotional moments, Travis wiped away tears as his brother shared his personal news, revealing a black and gold friendship bracelet on his wrist that had a T, a heart, and another T among a mix of black and gold beads.

The two Ts seem to represent his and his GRAMMY-winning girlfriend’s first initials. Stacked on top of the bracelet was another one that appeared to have his his full name, and a gold Cuban link bracelet.

While Travis and his family were in Philly to support Jason, Taylor is currently in the middle of her six-show Eras Tour run in Singapore. This isn’t the first time the Kansas City Chiefs tight end and his lady have worn bracelets to declare their love.

Last month, after Travis and the Chiefs clenched their Super Bowl win, Taylor was seen jetting off to Sydney, Australia wearing a custom friendship bracelet gifted to her by Travis, with TNT beads.

Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images

The elevated friendship bracelet made by WOVE, which starts at $5,600, is made of 14-carat gold and features four and a half carats of lab-grown diamonds. The “Midnights” songstress also wore it when she supported Travis in Baltimore during the playoffs.

Monday was an emotional day for the Kelce family, and while Travis wore his love for his lady on his wrist, the day was dedicated to supporting his big brother.

“Travis made it a point to be with his brother Jason today during his retirement announcement because family is the most important thing to both. Both men grew up with the same dream, accomplished the same dream, and have supported each other through it all,” a source told ET. “Today is no different. Travis got very emotional watching his brother’s speech, and is incredibly proud of his accomplishments. Travis will always be there to support his family.”

Another young Taylor Swift fan will get the opportunity to see her wildest dreams come true.

 

Joy Sim, 13, was diagnosed with muscle cancer in October 2023.

With the support of local charity Viva Foundation for Children with Cancer and Singaporean bag brand Aupen, Joy will attend Swift’s Mar. 7 concert in a S$30,000 private suite.

They previously arranged for another child, nine-year-old Keira Chia, who has terminal cancer, to attend the concert on the same day.

Undergoing chemotherapy

The secondary school student shared that the American pop star has been “a really great support” in the course of her life.

“I love Taylor Swift, and this could be my only chance to see her in real life,” she said.

Touched by her story, Aupen and Viva Foundation were able to obtain tickets for her to attend the concert with her father.

They also arranged for a private suite where she can attend comfortably, as she needs intermittent rest due to her ongoing treatment.

Joy has an important chemotherapy treatment scheduled for the same day, and plans to rush down for the concert immediately after, with the support of her medical team at KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital.

“They are all very excited and are rooting for her,” an Aupen spokesperson told Mothership.

A black hat

Like Keira, Joy hopes to be a recipient of Swift’s iconic black hat.

The pop star gives her black hat away to one lucky fan every time she performs her song “22”.

Joy shared that she hopes to meet Swift in person as she is “such a kind and sweet person”.

“Her songs aren’t just songs. Her songs have meaning…[and it] makes me really happy to listen to her,” she added.

“Like if you fail to do something, just ‘shake it off’ and try again.”

Top image from Joy Sim and Taylor Swift/Instagram