Taylor Swift had one more surprise up her sleeve.“The Life Of A Showgirl: The Encore,”the expanded edition of her 2025 album, arrived September 25 with four brand-new songs:“Patient Zero,”“Cleveland!,”“Pink Clouding”and“Babylon.”All four were written with Max Martin and Shellback, the powerhouse team behind some of Swift’s biggest pop moments. According to Swift, the songs came together after she traveled to Sweden to celebrate the original album’s record-breaking run, and she says they were“born out of pure gratitude”for how fans embraced the record.
The lead single,“Patient Zero,”is a glossy pop track that turns infection into a metaphor for a destructive relationship. Swift warns another woman about the“devil”hiding beneath her ex’s halo, with the sharp lyric,“If you’re sick of him, I got you.”Meanwhile,“Cleveland!”features a spoken section about finding someone who tolerates you, a line that’s already resonating with fans online.
The“Patient Zero”music video is set to premiere at the MTV VMAs on September 27. Swift directed the video herself, with cinematographer Emmanuel Lubezki behind the camera, and Dakota Johnson and Colin Farrell starring. Swift will also receive the inaugural Artist Director Honors award at the ceremony. Which new track are you putting on repeat first?
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Local Lawton
Local Lawton is a contributor to LocalBeat, covering local news and community stories.