Taylor Swift’s “Patient Zero,” the lead single from the four-track *The Life of a Showgirl: The Encore* expansion released September 25, opened with a record 13.7 million global Spotify streams on day one, the strongest female-artist debut of 2026 and second-highest overall. The track quickly slipped 59 percent the following day to roughly 5.5 million plays, ceding the top spot, while the full *Encore* bundle briefly occupied Spotify’s top four. Critical response has been mixed, with the project posting the lowest Metacritic score of Swift’s career, yet fan mobilization remains intense ahead of the music-video premiere at the September 27 VMAs. First-week totals will be measured through October 1, with traders weighing the initial surge, post-video rebound potential, and historical benchmarks from Swift’s prior Max Martin–Shellback collaborations against softer day-two retention.