Updating a story first posted here yesterday (Sept. 22), Taylor Swift is releasing an “encore” edition of her 2025 Republic blockbuster The Life of a Showgirl on Friday with four new songs, including “Patient Zero,” which itself was announced just hours ago.
“About a year ago, you guys did a truly unfathomable thing,” Swift wrote on Instagram. “Something that completely blew my mind. You gave The Life of a Showgirl the biggest first week for an album in history. I took a trip to Sweden to celebrate with Max [Marti] and Shellback, my two collaborators on this album. Really we just wanted to reflect and take in how grateful we were for the moment we were in, but there was a studio there and we did what we do when we feel anything at all: we wrote more songs. I hope you love them, because they were born out of pure gratitude for your exuberance for and celebration of the album we made.”
Beyond “Patient Zero,” the new tracks are comprised of “Cleveland!,” “Pink Clouding” and “Babylon.” Visit Swift’s web site for ordering details on the Encore edition plus limited CD singles of “Patient Zero,” which are available in separate acoustic and piano versions.
Renowned for their collective and individual work with Britney Spears, Ariana Grande and Adele, Martin and Shellback previously contributed to such Swift projects as Red and Reputation. “These guys, they’re just geniuses in different avenues and different ways,” Swift said last year on the New Heights podcast co-hosted by her now-husband, NFL star Travis Kelce. “We had so much more dexterity to what we do. It’s almost like we’d all grown up so much. Shellback and I were in our early 20s when we started working together. This was the time when all three of us in the room were carrying the same weight as creators. We knew we had to bring the best ideas we’ve ever had. That effervescence has come through on this record. This is the record I’ve been wanting to make for a very long time — 12 songs for my 12th album.”
On Sunday, Swift will receive the first Artist Director Honors at the MTV Video Music Awards, in recognition of musicians “whose work behind the camera has expanded the possibilities of music video and advanced the art of visual storytelling.” She has been nominated seven times for Best Director at the VMAs and won on four occasions for such clips as “All Too Well (10-Minute Version,” “Anti-Hero” and “Fortnight.”
Madonna has a leading 13 nominations for the VMAs, which will be hosted by Snoop Dogg from Los Angeles’ Peacock Theatre. Swift has 11, including Video and Artist of the Year, plus Best Pop, Direction, Art Direction, Cinematography, Editing, Choreography and Visual Effects. She already has 30 competitive Moon Persons, meaning even one win would make her the most-awarded artist in VMA history.