Taylor Swift Releases 'Patient Zero' Ahead of Four-Track Encore

Taylor Swift released “Patient Zero” on 25 September as the first preview of “The Life of a Showgirl: The Encore”.

The Encore is a four-track addendum to her album “The Life of a Showgirl”. “Patient Zero” was announced ahead of the other three tracks as the latest single, according to Billboard.

The song was created with Max Martin and Shellback. The pair have worked with Swift across much of her pop catalogue.

The release arrives with a video cast from outside music. Dakota Johnson and Colin Farrell star in the “Patient Zero” video, which Swift teased on CBS Mornings, according to People. Clips surfaced after that appearance on 24 September.

Context helps here. “The Fate of Ophelia” served as the lead single, the first track issued to introduce an album, from “The Life of a Showgirl”. Since then Swift has also released “I Knew It, I Knew You” from the Toy Story 5 soundtrack. Another Showgirl-era track, “Cleveland!”, is named after the hometown of Travis Kelce.

The Encore tracks are also the first songs Swift has released as a married woman.

For fans, this means a short wait for the rest of the story. One single is out. Three more tracks will complete the Encore package.

Chart watchers are already doing the maths. Analysis published by Forbes notes “Patient Zero” could tie major chart records held by Drake and BTS, while extending several of Swift’s own Billboard achievements. Those outcomes depend on streams, sales and radio play once the tracking week closes.