Phl tops Google searches worldwide for Taylor Swift

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippines truly is a Swiftie nation.

The hardcore fans of Taylor Swift, popularly known as Swifties, made the Philippines rank No. 1 globally in Google searches for the American pop superstar.

The Philippines scored a full 100 in worldwide search interest over time for the “Taylor Swift” search term during the week of July 2 to 8, mainly due to the release of her re-recorded album Speak Now (Taylor’s Version) and as ticket sales for the only Southeast Asian leg of her worldwide The Eras Tour in Singapore went live.

The country beat the concert host Singapore (87), the US (79), and Australia (74). After the third and fourth in the 70s, the interest over time fell steeply with Ireland next at No. 5 and scoring 55.

Within the Philippines, CALABARZON (provinces of Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, and Quezon) topped the regions with 100, closely followed by Metro Manila at 99. The Top 5 is rounded out by Central Luzon (95), Bicol (92), and Western Visayas (91).

The interest over time statistic refers to the dominance of a specific search term compared to others at a certain time and place.

This means that in the Philippines and its Top 5 regions, Taylor Swift as a search term dominated all other keywords. The stat normalizes the overwhelming amount of search data by properly contextualizing it with times and locations.

PhilSTAR L!fe, meanwhile, reported that Filo Swifties have also topped the list of buyers in Klook, a booking platform that offers a concert package that includes tickets to the concert and a one-night stay at a four- or five-star hotel.

This should come as no surprise to many, as the Philippines is said to be home to Swift’s fanbase in Southeast Asia, if not the whole world. Her songs have dominated streaming charts for nearly two years, especially with a steady release schedule.

With the non-inclusion of the Philippines from The Eras Tour, tribute performances in drag shows have drawn hundreds of people in malls and other venues.

Just recently, hundreds of Filo Swifties flocked to a fan event in a local shopping mall to watch a Taylor Swift impersonation by a drag queen named Taylor Sheesh.

Swift hasn’t been in Manila since 2011, when she performed a one-night show at the Araneta Coliseum for her Red Tour.

The Eras Tour is Swift’s sixth concert tour which began in March earlier this year, and will go through five continents before concluding on Aug. 17, 2024 in London.