This was not always the case. In 2018, Singapore was named one of the world’s least exciting cities. timeout The City Life Index gave it the worst rating for culture. Undaunted, the Singapore Tourism Board hit back with a clever and tongue-in-cheek video showcasing the island’s highlights.
That reputation was dealt a further blow this month when a Malaysian actor disparaged visitors to stay no more than a few nights there because it was “artificial” and “too boring.” This infuriated local netizens, and ultimately the perpetrator was forced to apologize.
The truth is that Singapore has always suffered from a lackluster reputation compared to its dirtier, more authentic neighbors such as Jakarta and Bangkok. In the 1970s, a plan called “Operation Snip Snip” banned long hair, forcing bands like Led Zeppelin to cancel gigs because they were barred from entering the venue without a haircut. It’s often described as safe and stable, a valuable virtue if you’re trying to attract investment flow, but less so if you want to have a little fun.
Now, its name has appeared in popular series such as Succession as a better destination to host a party than New York.
But Singapore is trying to become Asia’s capital of cool, by design, if not by organic means.
The government’s “build it yourself” approach is often derided as over-produced, but for the most part it works well. This process began more than a decade before him, with the resurgence of F1 and the introduction of casinos significantly changing its then staid image. The gamble paid off. Between April and June last year, casinos brought in a record $649 million ($967 million) in revenue, and F1 regularly attracts thousands of visitors and famous music artists each year. That weekend in September has become a key event on the global entertainment calendar.
It has also entered the cinematic zeitgeist due to the worldwide success of films such as: crazy rich asians Here are some of the city-state’s most beautiful sights. It is also included in popular series such as. inheritanceas a destination that hosts cooler parties than New York.
So, is that so? financial times I said this earlier this year, but has it finally gotten cooler? Not so fast, says his local producer and music artist, Vijay Singh, who also goes by the name Swtlkr. “While we may be making progress in inviting more commercial artists, what is critically lacking is support for cultural development,” he says. “What’s happening right now is not in the interest of local artists and musicians.”
In fact, there’s still plenty to do on your journey to cool Singapore. It has no connection to Tokyo’s cultural relevance or Seoul’s burgeoning film and music industries.
Still, there’s a lot to celebrate, especially considering the options currently available. Having so many options makes the pain of not being able to get Taylor Swift tickets that much more bearable.It seems to be hamilton for us instead.
Karishma Vaswani covers Asian politics with a focus on China. She previously worked with her BBC across Asia for 20 years.
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