As a loyal, longtime Swiftie, it's kind of amazing to me just how huge she's become.

Although just in her early thirties, she's been a musician for about half her life. Her debut album came out in 2006. To put that in perspective, George W. Bush was the president in the White House and Aljunied GRC still belonged to the PAP.

As an elder millennial, I can remember her early career being something of a novelty. Country music stars traditionally didn't do too well in mainstream pop music. Her earnest lyrics about teenage love and heartbreak were sweet and catchy but a little corny, and her relationships were fodder for gossip columns and late-night comedians.

Consider this -- Swift visited Singapore in 2011 for her first show. And as her own videos showed, she could casually walk around Chinatown like any other tourist enjoying a day out.

Can you imagine that happening now without a gigantic mob appearing?

Fast forward over a decade later, and the world has changed to an unbelievable degree. But one constant is Swift herself at the top of the charts. Constantly experimenting, reinventing and above all, writing and performing excellent music, she deserves to be the cultural juggernaut and multi-millionaire she is today.

The reasons for her popularity could fill a book, but I find it interesting that unlike other millennial touchstones currently despised by our younger Gen Z cousins (e.g. JK Rowling, "Hamilton" and Buzzfeed-esque humour), they don't seem to hold the same contempt for Taylor Swift.

In fact, if TikTok (the Gen Z addiction of choice) is anything to go by, they adore her with a familiar intensity.

In the wise words of Terry Crews, she makes us all feel things. Boomer, Gen X, Millennial or Gen Z (hell, even Alpha), everyone wants to get down to Swift's sick beats. We could use more of that unity these days.

Fr. pic.twitter.com/EB9OjW3eIM

— Mothership (@MothershipSG) June 21, 2023

The best of Singapore

Another thing that unites the generations is the overwhelming demand for tickets to the Eras Tour.

While I knew it would be high, I was not prepared for the sheer frenzy. UK band Coldplay's record-setting feat of six sold-out shows at the National Stadium seems like an afterthought (no offence, Coldplay fans).

And yes, there has been some bad behaviour. Ticket scalpers, scammers, and Ticketmaster's technical problems continue to plague our nation.

And with Singapore the only Southeast Asian country where "no its becky" will be performing, leading to intense competition for tickets Asean-wide, both Singaporeans and other Southeast Asians alike have made their displeasure very clear.

Keep calm and queue on

But do you know what else we saw, once the UOB presale online ended and the next hope of tickets was in the SingPost outlets?

A grandmother waiting in line for a beloved granddaughter, hoping to get a ticket for her birthday.

A husband who isn't even a fan, but is prepared to lie on the cold, hard ground just so his wife could get a ticket.

A couple from the Philippines here on holiday and devoting 24 hours just to queue up, recalling how a security guard took the time and effort to "look out for them" throughout the night.

A teenage fan who couldn't get a ticket online, but was cheered by others in the queue when she finally got one.

And while there was some friction, The Straits Times reported that the overwhelming majority of hopeful fans queued in an orderly manner.

And you may laugh, but I see in this the exact sense of community and civic-mindedness, the fabled "kampung spirit" that many lament has been lost forever. At the very least, Swifties were lining up in a more orderly manner than those who once punched each other's lights out for Hello Kitty dolls at McDonald's.

Singaporeans, like Swift herself, have made progress.

Singapore is the place to be

But look beyond the queues, and take a global perspective.

Singapore is desperate for a bit of soft power and cultural cachet. According to Brand Finance, a company that estimates the values of brands and organisations around the world, Singapore dropped out of the top 20 Soft Power global rankings in 2023. We lag behind fellow Asian countries like Japan, China and South Korea.

For a small country with no natural resources or hinterland, as some will never tire of reminding us, soft power is a way to overcome such weaknesses and find new opportunities.

Singapore may never have the global impact of the K-pop revolution, or be the number one tourist destination in the world like Japan, but we can sell ourselves as a safe, efficient, and stable place to catch a show or attend an event. And while you're here, why not spend some money in our restaurants, hotels and taxis, or buy some snacks to take home?

Hey, we handled a historic meeting between Donald Trump and Kim Jong Un. We're good at this kind of thing. And it's good for us if the world knows we're good at this.

Even if you didn't get a ticket to see Tay Tay, just stick around. Jackson Wang and Post Malone are dropping by and I hear Beyoncé's coming next.*

* I actually know nothing about Queen Bey's plans, I am merely manifesting it to be so.

Top image from Taylor Swift YouTube and Facebook.