Singapore Swifties sing and dance to Taylor Swift’s concert film on its opening day
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A fan taking a photo of a poster of Taylor Swift before entering the cinema to watch the star's concert film in Mexico City, Mexico, on Oct 13.
PHOTO: REUTERS
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SINGAPORE – Taylor Swift has yet to land in Singapore for her string of six concerts, but Swifties here are already singing their hearts out at screenings of her documentary film in cinemas islandwide.
The pop star’s concert film, called Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour
As seen in videos posted on video-sharing platform TikTok, fans were unable to remain in their seats and many stood and sang along to hits from nine of her albums.
On the movie’s opening day at VivoCity’s Golden Village cinema, fans gathered at the front of the cinema hall to sing and dance along to Shake It Off and Bad Blood, singles from her fifth album 1989.
Among the excited fans in the cinema were Mr Nigel Lim and Mr Erwin Francis, who had dressed up for the occasion.
Both students donned a sash each. Mr Lim’s had the words “Miss Reputation”, to pay homage to Swift’s sixth album Reputation, while Mr Francis chose the words “Heartbreak Prince”, an ode to the singer-songwriter’s hit Miss Americana & The Heartbreak Prince.
Mr Francis, 20, told The Straits Times: “We were singing out loud and even danced at the back of the cinema theatre. We then danced at the front with others towards the end of the movie.”
Ms Clara Li, who described herself as a “hardcore superfan”, said she cried in the cinema hall during the scene when Swift first emerged onstage.
The 28-year-old marketing executive said: “Everyone was screaming the fan chants at the right timings and, for the first time, I felt like I was in a room filled with my people.
“After the movie, everyone stayed behind to sing along to other tracks and make new friends.”
But Ms Li said she was disappointed that Long Live, a single from Swift’s third album Speak Now, was not featured in the film.
“We will just have to look forward to hearing it live next year,” said Ms Li, who will be attending the first show of The Eras Tour in Singapore on March 2.
American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift performing during her Eras Tour at Sofi Stadium in Inglewood, California, on Aug 7.
PHOTO: AFP
In an Imax theatre at Shaw Theatres Waterway Point, fans waved flashlights from their mobile phones while crooning to songs with a slower tempo, such as Marjorie from the album Evermore.
Mr Andrew Chew secured tickets for an opening-day screening at Shaw Theatres Lido when they were made available in September.
The 20-year-old national serviceman said the atmosphere in the cinema hall was extremely lively.
“Many groups of people were jumping and dancing together, all bonded by their common love for Taylor.
“It was a cute moment for fans to have a mini concert, especially for those who might not have secured tickets to her concerts,” said Mr Chew, who will be attending Swift’s March 3 show at the National Stadium.
Tickets are on sale at Cathay Cineplexes, Golden Village, Shaw Theatres, EagleWings Cinematics, The Projector and the official event site www.tstheerastourfilm.com.
The American pop star will be performing six sold-out shows for her Singapore stop of The Eras Tour from March 2 to 4 and March 7 to 9, 2024.
Tickets to her shows were sold out within two days
The Eras Tour, which started in the American state of Arizona in March, has made her a billionaire with a net worth of about US$1.1 billion (S$1.51 billion)
Meanwhile, Swift’s re-recorded version of her 2014 album, 1989 (Taylor’s Version), has claimed the top spot on the Billboard 200 albums chart, making it her 13th No. 1 on the chart.
The American music outlet reported on Sunday that the album, which was released on Oct 27, sold over one million copies in the US alone, making it the country’s top-selling album in 2023.
The pop star was also a big winner at the MTV Europe Music Awards with three prizes: Best Artist, Best Live and Best Video for Anti-Hero.
The results were announced via a press statement on Sunday as the awards ceremony, which was set to take place in Paris, France, was cancelled amid the ongoing conflict in Israel and Gaza.
