Taylor, Why?

(SPOT.ph) Today, June 21, Swifties everywhere woke up to the wonderful news of new showdates and locations for Taylor Swift's much talked about Eras tour, happy news that immediately turned sour for those in the Philippines. Any Taylor fan will tell you that this particular tour is more than just a concert—it's an out-of-body experience. It takes all your life's heartbreaks, successes, core memories and balls it up into a cathartic release. If it isn't obvious yet, I joined the many who scoured the announcement pixel by pixel looking for Manila, Bulacan, Cebu, or Davao, and like the rest of you, I ended up feeling the pain of rejection—Miss Ma'am Taylor isn't heading our way anytime soon.

Also read: Here’s How Much Taylor Swift’s Japan The Eras Tour Tickets Cost in Pesos

Channeling that Filipino resilience we tend to go viral for, tons of Filo Swifities really said, "I'll go where you go," after the announcement. They aren't letting the lack of Philippine shows stop them from seeing their one true kween. My feed is full of posts of people planning trips to Singapore or Japan just to catch the show. Yet as much as I want to join them, the cost of flights, accommodations and ticket prices is just a tad over—understatement—my current budget for concerts right now. And since misery loves company, it was clear a whole bunch of us were feeling the same way, as proven by all the memes and tweets that came out. At the center of it all was the question: Why? 

We deserve an acceptable reason as to why the Taylor Swift Eras Tour skipped the Philippines

Filo Swifties have proven their love more than once, and we're not just talking about the two times she's been here for Speak Now and Red. We constantly top streaming charts by location where Taytay's music is concerned, and don't even get us started on the local Twitterverse whenever she drops a new album or single. In short, us Pinoy fans just want our love reciprocated, which means we deserve an explanation, we need an acceptable reason, as to why we've been skipped. 

Like most exes left bereft, Twitter's full of discussions as to where we could have gone wrong, hoping to make it make sense. The relatively popular tweet above points to seating capacity as a possible reason; the Japan and Singapore venues are at around 50,000 seats—a number the Philippine Arena in Bulacan could match up to. But then again, Twitter user @geeyani continues by asking in the thread whether we've got a venue that can accommodate the stage "while still delivering a pleasant concert experience?" Emphasis on "pleasant," which isn't exactly what the usual hour-long wait to get out of the Philippine Arena parking is (among other complaints).

The Eras Tour has been on every Swiftie's feed lately, so we all know just how hard the set, and the Queen, goes. Which adds another layer: capability. Maybe the Philippines has the space, but are we capable of hosting such a production? Heck, there's an epic moment where Taytay dives into the stage and "swims" via a floor made of screens. So there's the question: is there a venue in the Philippines big enough and good enough for T.Swift and us swifties? Look, there's no doubt Swift and team want to put on a damn good show for us, and that's gotta start with the space, so hey, we may never really know why, but I'm good thinking she just didn't want us shortchanged. TL;DR: everything or nothing PERIOD.

Still, there's no hurt in checking out the buzz online. Ranging from delulu hopes and dreams to genuine anger at the turn of events, and full-on studies of why the Philippines was skipped over, there was some comfort to be found in the collective breakdown online. Check out the best ones below.

Also read: Meet the Filipino-British Singer Opening for Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour

Check out these funny tweets and memes about Taylor Swift's New Eras Tour new showdates: