Taylor Swift releases 'The Life of a Showgirl: The Encore' with four bonus tracks and debuts 'Patient Zero' video at MTV VMAs

Taylor Swift has added four bonus tracks—"Patient Zero," "Cleveland!," "Pink Clouding," and "Babylon"—to her twelfth studio album, now titled The Life of a Showgirl: The Encore. The original release, The Life of the Showgirl, featured twelve songs, a number the artist previously said would not be altered.

In a recent interview, Swift explained that the new songs were written after the album’s initial success and were intended to reflect gratitude for the period she described as a "moment" with collaborators Max Martin and Shellback.

The lead single from the Encore, "Patient Zero," was accompanied by a cinematic music video premiered at the 2026 MTV Video Music Awards. The video, described as a thriller, marks a notable visual effort for the artist.

Industry observers note that Swift also has a directorial debut in development with Searchlight Pictures and has contributed to the soundtrack of Toy Story 5.

The expanded album arrives ahead of the first round of voting for the 2027 Grammy Awards, and it remains uncertain which tracks Swift will submit for major categories such as Album of the Year and Song of the Year.