Taylor Swift Releases ‘The Life of a Showgirl: The Encore’ With Four New Songs

Taylor Swift released ‘The Life of a Showgirl: The Encore’ on Friday, September 25, 2026. The expanded edition adds four new songs to her 2025 album, which she announced earlier this week.

The new tracks are ‘Patient Zero,’ ‘Cleveland!,’ ‘Pink Clouding’ and ‘Babylon.’ They appear as tracks 13 through 16 on the deluxe version of the album. The original ‘The Life of a Showgirl’ was released in October 2025 and spent 12 weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard 200.

Swift Says New Songs Came From Gratitude

Swift announced the deluxe edition on Wednesday, September 23, in a post on Instagram. She wrote that the songs were written during a trip to Sweden with collaborators Max Martin and Shellback.

‘About a year ago, you guys did a truly unfathomable thing … you gave The Life of a Showgirl the biggest first week for an album in history,’ Swift wrote. ‘I took a trip to Sweden to celebrate with Max [Martin] 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.’

She added: ‘I hope you love them, because they were born out of pure gratitude for your exuberance for and celebration of the album we made.’

The announcement followed a series of teasers, including a website countdown and a cryptic cameo in a pre-taped sketch during the Emmy Awards broadcast. Fans decoded a message from the sketch that spelled out the word ‘encore.’

‘Patient Zero’ Video to Premiere at VMAs

The music video for ‘Patient Zero,’ the first single from the expanded album, will make its world premiere during the 2026 MTV Video Music Awards on Sunday, September 27. The video stars Colin Farrell and Dakota Johnson alongside Swift, who also directed the visual.

CBS and MTV announced the premiere on Thursday. A 13-second teaser released the same day shows Swift in a snowy setting alongside Johnson and Farrell. The video is set in a brutalist house overlooking a pool.

Swift will receive the inaugural Artist Director Honors at the VMAs. The award recognizes artists whose work behind the camera has expanded the possibilities of music video. She enters the ceremony with 11 nominations, including Video of the Year for ‘The Fate of Ophelia.’

Reviews Highlight Familiar Showmanship

Early reviews of ‘The Encore’ describe the new songs as a direct extension of the original album’s sound. A CNBC TV18 review published on Friday noted that ‘Pink Clouding’ and ‘Babylon’ stood out on first listen, while describing the project as an exuberant victory lap.

A USA Today review said ‘Cleveland!’ is the catchiest of the new tracks and features lyrics addressing Swift’s relationship with Travis Kelce, a Cleveland native. The review described ‘Patient Zero’ as an atmospheric song told from the perspective of someone warning a future partner about a toxic ex.

The songs follow Swift’s summer release of ‘I Knew It, I Knew You,’ written for the ‘Toy Story 5’ soundtrack, and her July wedding to Kelce.

Trademark Lawsuit Continues

The release of ‘The Encore’ coincides with an ongoing trademark lawsuit against Swift. Las Vegas performer Maren Wade filed the suit in March 2026, claiming Swift’s album title infringes on her ‘Confessions of a Showgirl’ column, podcast and live show.

Swift’s legal team filed a motion to dismiss the case, calling Wade’s claims ‘nonsensical.’ In court documents, her lawyers wrote: ‘Plaintiff’s overarching assertion that consumers are – or could be – confused into believing that Ms. Swift, a 14-time Grammy Award winner and global musical icon, is the source of or is associated with plaintiff’s podcast, book, or live cabaret performances at golf resorts and RV parks is nonsensical.’

The lawyers also argued that the Los Angeles federal court lacks personal jurisdiction over Swift, who is a Tennessee resident. They asked for the case to be dismissed with prejudice. The lawsuit remains pending.

As of Friday, ‘The Life of a Showgirl: The Encore’ is available digitally through Swift’s official store and major streaming platforms. The ‘Patient Zero’ music video premiere is set for the VMAs on September 27 on CBS and MTV.