Taylor Swift’s surprise single “Patient Zero,” released September 25 as part of the expanded *The Life of a Showgirl: Encore*, drove immediate streaming momentum with 13.7 million global Spotify plays on day one, the strongest 2026 mark for any female artist. Fan pre-orders and social buzz from the September 22 announcement fueled the debut, though day-two figures dropped sharply as typical post-release decay set in. Mixed-to-negative critical reception for the project, with a Metacritic score around 39, may temper longer-term engagement compared to prior Swift releases. The world-premiere music video featuring Colin Farrell and Dakota Johnson at the September 29 VMAs stands as the key near-term catalyst that could lift first-week totals, while competition from other high-profile tracks and historical streaming curves for surprise drops will shape final tallies.