Singapore Defends Taylor Swift Payment After Thai Criticism

Singapore defended its strategy of offering incentives to secure Taylor Swift’s exclusive concerts in Southeast Asia, saying the economic benefits of doing so outweigh any cost the city-state incurred in the process and that it was ultimately her choice where she wants to perform.

“A deal was reached and so it has turned out to be a very successful arrangement,” Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said on Tuesday when asked about the matter during a visit to Australia. “If we had not made such an arrangement would she have come to someplace else in Southeast Asia or more places in Southeast Asia? Maybe, maybe not,” he said.