How I survived watching Shinee and Taylor Swift in concert on same day

It took preparation and adrenaline to survive the long-awaited gigs by the K-pop boy band and American singer-songwriter that took place in neighbouring venues

- Jan Lee

I did not mean for this to happen.

I was not going to watch American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift's Eras Tour at the National Stadium. I tried, but I did not manage to get tickets.

So when K-pop boy band Shinee announced their first concert here in 12 years, a one-night-only show at the Singapore Indoor Stadium on March 2, I had no qualms about getting tickets.

I noted the coincidence of Swift's first concert on the same day with amusement.

Shinee's concert was due to start unusually early, at 4pm, surely to avoid the crowds that Swift's concert at 6pm would attract. Theoretically, one could attend both shows, I remarked to my editor.

But who is crazy enough to attempt two concerts in one day? Certainly not me, with my way-past-adolescent stamina.

Well, two weeks after I got my ticket to Shinee's gig, additional tickets to Swift's show were announced.

And a friend managed to queue successfully for four tickets for March 2.

It was my personal Barbenheimer, the cinematic double-bill of Barbie and Oppenheimer that trended all through 2023. Shwift? Swiftnee? Taynee?