Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong has said that it is by no means meant to be a snub to the neighboring states by enticing Taylor Swift to the country for an exclusive show. Speaking over the issue at a news conference in Melbourne, where he's attending a regional summit, he said governmental agencies bargained with Swift to just come to Singapore within the Southeast Asia region. Lee emphasized the success of this arrangement and rejected the notion that it was unfriendly.

The performance in Singapore is part of a string of performances consisting of six sold-out shows with stops only in Singapore and Southeast Asia. While the Singapore government stated earlier that it would give Swift a grant for her performance, it did not flag the specifics of the agreement.

This has elicited a lot of disaffection among some other countries within the region. This grant has elicited concerns from the Thai prime minister, who believed that it was granted under the condition that Singapore become the exclusive Southeast Asian venue during the Swift.

A Filipino lawmaker also criticized the move, stating that it violated the principles of good neighborly relations. As recently as last month, Singapore's tourism board and culture ministry were touting the economic boon that Swift's global concerts bring, given her immense popularity. They also referred to their collaboration with concert promoter AEG Presents to secure Swift's performance in Singapore.