Singapore has Taylor Swift, Philippines has Taylor Sheesh

Taylor Swift might not be planning a stop in the Philippines amid her ongoing Eras Tour, but at least fans in the country seem to have the "next best thing" as a backup.

Meet Taylor Sheesh, a drag queen whose performances have earned her plaudits even from fans of the real country singer.

Sheesh started getting noticed after a show at a shopping mall in Quezon City in May. In an interview with ABC Everyday, the 28-year-old Filipino drag queen said she performed for an hour and 34 minutes that day to a crowd of about 10,000 people.

She performed songs from Taylor Swift's nine albums, and even had several costumes prepared — each of them similar to what Swift has been wearing on her ongoing tour.

Sheesh, whose real name is Mac, told ABC Everyday that she has been impersonating Taylor Swift since 2017.  

"I watched some of her live performances on YouTube and memorised how she performs, how she flicks her hair. How she awkwardly dances," Sweesh said.

"When the Eras tour in the US started, I made a list of all the costumes, wigs, all the songs. I memorised all the choreography, all the hand gestures, all the smiles, all the blinking eyes, the iconic moments."

@h2so4_as bad blood (security version) by Taylor Sheesh #badbloodsecurityguard #taylorsheesh #theerasfestivalinmanila #taylorswift ♬ original sound - Miss Blondie

Sheesh is slated to perform at local bars this month, and plans to one day stage a show at a bigger concert venue. 

Taylor Swift fans in the Philippines were disappointed when the singer announced that her tour stops in Asia would be in Japan and Singapore (March 2024).

Sheesh said: "Some people say, 'we don't need Taylor Swift here, since we've got Taylor Sheesh here in our country'.

"Taylor promotes kindness, and that's my biggest achievement too. That's what I'm doing — spreading love, kindness and respect."

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This article was first published in The New Paper. Permission required for reproduction.