Taylor Swift's "Patient Zero" Lyrics Have Fans Fighting Over Which Joe It's About

Taylor Swift’s new track“Patient Zero,”from“The Life of a Showgirl: The Encore,”has done what every Swift release does: turned the internet into a detective agency. The song finds her playing the role of the first person to suffer an ex’s emotional damage, and offering a heads-up to whoever comes next.“If you’re sick of him, I got you, I was patient zero.”That line alone set off a fandom-wide debate about which ex inspired it.

One camp is firmly Team Joe Jonas, and the evidence is stacked. Swift and Jonas dated for three months in 2008 and broke up in a now-legendary 27-second phone call. Fast forward to 2023, and Swift reportedly let Sophie Turner, Jonas’then-estranged wife, stay in her New York City apartment during their divorce. Fans argue that’s too poetic to ignore.“I mean Sophie literally moved into her house lol it’s Sophie/Joe,”one wrote. The other camp is Team Joe Alwyn, pointing to the medical motif in“You’re Losing Me”and the devil imagery that echoes“Cruel Summer,”given the pair dated for more than six years.

Here’s what keeps this story alive: Swift’s lyrics reward re-listening, and her fanbase treats every verse like a clue. Whether“Patient Zero”belongs to the 2008 era or the Alwyn era, the real winner is the discourse, which is currently undefeated. Which Joe do you think the song is about? Drop your theory in the comments.