| Videos | ? Latest |
|
? Feature | ? Sports | ? Your Videos |
Taylor Swift takes stage at Hong Kong
0 
Plenty of fans were donating their money to Taylor Swift who is wrapping up the Asian leg of her world tour and relishing in her growing international appeal. These days, the singer-songwriter is steadily gaining fans outside the U.S. with her combination of confessional lyrics and country sound.
Shortly before taking the stage at Hong Kong's Asia World-Expo arena late Monday, the 21-year-old received a long line of Universal Music executives from across Asia who presented her with platinum sales plaques. Swift's previous album, "Fearless" sold 400,000 copies in the region. Her latest release, "Speak Now," is also performing well, achieving platinum status in Taiwan, South Korea, Indonesia and the Philippines.
Taylor Swift , U.S. Country Singer, said, "Some of them were really surprising to me. I wasn't aware of every single certification we have in Asia. It really blew my mind."
It's testimony to the growing crossover appeal of the country star on foreign shores. Having just released her third album in October, the four-time Grammy winner can already boast a considerable global following. The initial Asian leg of Swift's "Speak Now" tour has taken her to Singapore, Seoul, Osaka, Tokyo and Manila.
"It really touches me every time I look down and I see all the fans singing the words to my songs, having written the lyrics, knowing that they connect in countries where English really isn't spoken by everyone. It means the world to me." Taylor Swift said.
Swift also said she's proud to be an international ambassador for country music.
"I love country music, and I love the fact that it's being accepted all over the world. That is so exciting for me. I have heroes who have taken country music internationally. You have Garth Brooks and Shania Twain. They really did a lot for country music because they brought an awareness to it." Said Swift.
It hasn't been all work and no play on the Asian tour. Swift said she has taken in the local cuisine and sites. She visited Singapore Chinatown, visited a beach in Hong Kong and shopped and was dressed up as a geisha in Tokyo.
Swift next returns to the U.S. before kicking off the European leg of the tour in Brussels on March 6th. The American leg begins on May 27th in Omaha, Nebraska. She will tour Australia and New Zealand later in the year.
