Asia News: Bruno Mars’ International Incident;

PHILIPPINES

Olivio Rodrigo Ticketing Delights, Confuses Fans

Philippine fans of Filipino-American superstar Olivia Rodrigo were delighted and even perplexed that all the tickets to her Oct. 5 concert at the 55,000-capacity Philippine Arena in Manila for the GUTS World Tour were designated “Silver Star” tickets and priced at 1,500 Philippine pesos, which converts to around $27, thus making her concert much cheaper than those for local artists.

“Silver Star” tickets were to include all taxes and fees and are randomly assigned to all who purchase them, since they are all the same price.

Rodrigo has said that all net proceeds from the Manila show will go toward her Fund 4 Good, a “global initiative dedicated to supporting community-based nonprofits that help to empower women…advancing girls’ education, supporting reproductive rights, and preventing gender-based violence.”

TAIWAN

Bruno Mars’ International Incident

Bruno Mars found himself caught up in a cross-Taiwan Straits controversy after sending an appreciative message to his Taiwan fans following two sold-out shows in early September.

According to Taiwan News, Mars posted “Thank you, Taiwan, China” in simplified Chinese characters on the Chinese social media platform Weibo on Sept. 11, along with a video that showed him singing along with fans at one of his two shows in the southern Taiwan city of Kaohsiung.

Many of the Taiwanese fans who saw the message were taken aback because the post seemed to imply that Taiwan was part of China, an assertion that the government of China has made for decades but which many Taiwanese don’t accept.

In defense of Mars, some fans pointed out that on his own Instagram account, which is generally banned in China, Mars had written simply “Thank you, Taiwan” along with a Taiwan flag. However, later even this post was changed to “Thank you Kaohsiung” with the flag symbol removed.

KOREA

Pitch Conditions Prompt Complaints

A comment by one of South Korea’s biggest soccer stars almost caused the cancellation of two concerts this week by one of South Korea’s biggest singers.

Korean media has reported that Son Heung-min, the captain of the national soccer team, criticized the condition of the pitch in the Seoul World Cup Stadium after a match with Palestine on Sept. 5, saying that he felt the team couldn’t perform to its best abilities on such a poor field.

As a result, on Sept. 11, a petition was filed with the relevant authorities demanding the cancellation of concerts by singer-songwriter IU, who is often called Korea’s Taylor Swift, on Sept. 20-21 at the stadium, since the large number of attendees will wreak havoc with the pitch prior to a World Cup qualifier match between Korea and Iraq on Oct. 15.

Apparently, dissatisfaction with the quality of the stadium’s maintenance is an ongoing issue, and the local Football Association has been actively considering moving the Iraq match to a different stadium. In the meantime, both IU concerts are sold out, which means 100,000 people will be in the stadium over the two days of the concert, and in the end, the concerts were not canceled despite the petition.

South Korea currently has a shortage of venues for holding large-scale concerts, a problem that will only become more acute in the near future.

CHINA

Ye Sells Out

Kanye West’s “Vulture Listening Experience World Tour Listening Party” at the Wuyuan River Sports Stadium in Haikou, Hainan Province, China, on Sept. 15, quickly sold out its 42,000 tickets, with 96% purchased by persons from “outside the island province,” according to a report in China Daily.

The report did not provide details of the show itself but, according to TMZ, West performed with all four of his children during the performance.

Several days prior to the concert, the New York Times reported that West’s fans in China were “confused” that the Chinese authorities were allowing the concert to proceed, given West’s often provocative statements and behavior.

The NYT wondered if that had something to do with the current state of the Chinese economy. Ever since China opened its borders in the wake of the COVID lockdown it “has been trying to stimulate consumer spending and promote tourism.”

Haikou is considered one of China’s primary tourist resorts, the “Chinese Hawaii,” as some have called it. The government has promoted this image by making tourist entry visa-free and setting up duty-free shopping outlets.

The controversies that have plagued West in the U.S. are not of much concern in China. Apparently, the country’s censors did not restrict any of the songs West was supposed to have submitted. Chinese authorities require foreign artists to submit set lists prior to performance for approval.