SINGAPORE – Before Taylor Swift took the stage at the National Stadium on March 2, a gathering of her ardent fans took place at Jewel Changi Airport.
More than 1,000 Swifties sang along to live renditions of the American pop star’s biggest hits by home-grown acts Joie Tan and 53A.
Held amid the lush gardens of Shiseido Forest Valley, the free concert titled Bejeweled was organised by Changi Airport Group for fans to celebrate the pop star before her performances in Singapore.
Swift arrived in Singapore via Seletar Airport on Feb 27. Her National Stadium gigs on March 2, 3, 4, 7, 8 and 9 are part of her massively popular global Eras Tour and will be her only stops in South-east Asia.
Many Swifties dressed up in costumes and accessories based on the aesthetics of Swift’s various albums. One of them was Mr Syafiq Saparuan, 20, whose get-up included a coat and sunglasses inspired by her 2012 album, Red.
“I’m here to have fun and sing along with other people and just basically enjoy myself,” says the polytechnic student, who is attending Swift’s concert at the National Stadium on March 2.
For some Swifties, the Bejeweled concert was a chance to meet their foreign counterparts. Mrs Tina Maack, a 32-year-old from Germany, met Ms Marissa Monis, a 26-year-old from the Philippines, at the show and quickly bonded over their love for Swift.
Ms Maack says: “It is a coincidence that we are both dressed in rainbow colours inspired by the Lover (2019) album.”
On stage, Tan took turns on lead vocals with 53A members Sara Wee and Lisa Haryono as they sang tunes such as All Too Well (2012), Style (2014) and Anti-Hero (2022). They played three sets, each lasting around 30 minutes.
Tan, who started out in 2010 with YouTube covers of songs by artistes such as Swift, tells The Straits Times the pop star’s appeal lies in her storytelling skills, lyricism and charm.
“I think a lot of it has to do with how unapologetically herself she is, and the way she celebrates the things society teaches us to hide,” says the singer, songwriter and musician, who wore a sparkly, gold dress inspired by Swift’s Fearless (2008) album.
Bejeweled kicked off at 7.30pm with a performance by budding singers and dancers from performing arts studio MADDspace, and was hosted by radio deejay Joakim Gomez.
At one point, Gomez led the crowd in making a video inviting Swift to return to Changi Airport and visit the forest at Jewel, which opened in 2019.
In 2011, the singer made a YouTube vlog after she touched down in Singapore for her first concert here, and highlighted the “forest in the airport” in Changi Airport’s Terminal 3.
