What is Taylor Swift’s connection to Singapore? Revelations from her sold-out Eras Tour, from her mum Andrea growing up in the city state to her grandma, opera singer Marjorie Finlay, performing there

Mar 7 , 2024

During the first of her Eras Tour concerts in Singapore, Taylor Swift discussed her ties to the city state. Photo: @taylorswift/Instagram

Taylor Swift kick-started her Eras Tour Singapore leg at the Singapore National Stadium on Saturday, with all six dates between March 2 and 9 sold out.

Ahead of the tour, the news broke that Singapore allegedly shelled out nearly US$3 million per show to secure an exclusive deal with Swift, ensuring that the American superstar doesn’t take the Eras Tour anywhere else in Southeast Asia.

Taylor Swift is in the midst of six concerts in Singapore for her Eras Tour, all of which are sold out. Photo: TNS

While the result of the lucrative reported deal has significantly boosted Singapore’s economy and tourism, with legions of fans paying a hefty price to fly to the city, it has upset nearby regions, with a lawmaker from Philippines saying it “isn’t what good neighbours do”, Business Insider reports.

But it’s apparently not all about the money for Swift. During her concert on Saturday, the pop star revealed that her mum, Andrea, actually spent a large portion of her childhood in the city state.

Here’s what we know about Miss Americana’s connection to Singapore.

Taylor Swift’s mum grew up in Singapore

During the first of her six dates on March 2, Swift told the crowd that her grandfather, Robert Finlay, worked for an engineering company and briefly moved his family to Singapore for his job.

Andrea Swift, née Finlay, known to fans lovingly as Mama Swift, attended the Singapore American School between 1968 and 1969, per The Star.

Andrea Swift, Taylor Swift’s mother, spent time in Singapore as a child. Photo: Getty Images

“A lot of the time when we came here on tour, my mum would take me and drive me past her old house and where she used to go to school; and so, I’ve been hearing about Singapore my whole life,” Swift told the crowd.

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Taylor Swift’s grandma performed in Singapore in 1968

Taylor Swift as a child, pictured with grandmother Marjorie Finlay. Photo: @BAHjournalist/Twitter

After Swift’s revelation about her connection to Singapore, fans soon uncovered that the “All Too Well” singer’s maternal grandmother Marjorie Finlay, an opera singer, had actually performed as the lead in the production The Bartered Bride in Singapore in 1968, according to an old Straits Times article.

Taylor Swift’s grandmother, Marjorie Finlay (pictured), was a well-known opera singer who once performed in Singapore. Photo: @marjoriemfinlay/Instagram

Finlay died in 2003 at the age of 74 – a year before Swift signed her first record deal. Little did Finlay know, over 50 years after her performance in Singapore, her granddaughter would revisit the city for her sold-out tour and perform “Marjorie”, an emotional track dedicated to Finlay.

Taylor Swift

Singapore sparked anger after reports surfaced about the city state allegedly paying US$3 million per concert to ensure Tay Tay would not perform elsewhere in Southeast Asia
But did you know the singer actually has Singaporean roots? Her mother Andrea attended Singapore American School in the 60s, and her grandmother, for whom the song ‘Marjorie’ is named, performed there