On Sept. 22nd, Taylor Swift posted a single photo to Instagram announcing her upcoming single “Patient Zero.” In true Swiftie fashion, fans began tearing the post apart, searching for the hidden clues that Taylor is so renowned for. Could it be a new album? Her next era? Or is she finally coming clean about the obviously staged relationship between her and Travis Kelce? (I mean come on — the signs were there from the beginning!) However, it would be none of these things. Just 24 hours later, Taylor revealed that “Patient Zero” would be released alongside three other songs, a collection ominously bearing the title “The Life of a Showgirl: The Encore.”
My use of the word “ominously” above may seem strange, but I find it to be the most accurate word. Following the success of the Eras Tour (which became the highest-grossing concert tour of all time) and her albums “Midnights” and “The Tortured Poets Department” (the former of which won the Grammy for Album of the Year), Taylor Swift appeared to be unstoppable. And oh boy, was she riding that momentum as far as it would take her. In Oct. 2025, Taylor released her 12th studio album, “The Life of a Showgirl.” Despite becoming the first album in history to earn over four million copies in a single week (surpassing Adele’s “25”), the album itself would go on to receive some of the harshest critical reviews and negative public perception of Taylor’s career. While promising a closer look into the inner world of someone who had become the world’s biggest star, alongside a glittery, sophisticated nod to the vintage showgirl aesthetic, the songs themselves fell flat, even to some of her most dedicated fans. The most consistent critiques highlight a supposed regression in Taylor’s songwriting, combined with uninspiring production. Taylor would notoriously respond to this criticism on The Zane Lowe Show: “If it’s the first week of my album release and you are saying either my name or my album title, you’re helping.”
Given this context, it makes sense why a return to this era of Taylor’s discography may be frightening (a TikToker affectionately dubbed the situation: “Taylor Swift Threatens to Release New Music”). But many fans (me included) remained optimistic! Perhaps TLOAS was a fluke, Taylor had processed the criticism, and had decided to surprise us all by dropping the best four songs of her career! Plus, there’s no way it could get worse…right? I woke up the morning of Sept. 25 with both a quiet sense of dread and a glimmer of hope — which vanished as soon as I listened to the first 30 seconds of “Patient Zero.” By the end of “The Encore,” the reality of what I was listening to hit me. It wasn’t just the simplicity of the lyrics or the lifeless production which turned me off, but the utter lack of humanity. In fact, I increasingly find that the woman I had idolized for so long has slowly disappeared before my eyes.
I’ve been a fan of Taylor Swift since I was five. She had just released “Speak Now,” and I was hooked (“Mean” was my favorite). My parents got me every new CD, I watched every music video, and I told everyone I wanted to be a pop star when I grew up. I am now twenty-one and have yet to become a pop star, but I have remained a huge fan for the past 16 years. I defended “Me!” every chance I got, contributed thousands of streams to “Folklore” and “Evermore,” saw The Eras Tour in theaters, and listened to “The Tortured Poets Department” on repeat during my first breakup. Objectively, I don’t believe that Taylor is the most talented musician in the world. In terms of vocals, musicianship, and dancing ability (oh, she’s going to be mad about this one), she’s hardly perfect. But what drew me in and kept me all these years was her relatability. Her lyrics always had a way of making me feel understood, or more impressively, allowing me to feel an emotion I had never felt with an intensity I can’t even describe. It’s no surprise that she was recently inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame.
But recently, it feels her newly achieved billionaire status has emboldened her to show her true colors. From extreme private jet carbon emissions, her silence during the 2024 election, releasing thirty-six versions of the same album to push smaller artists out of the charts (yes, TTPD had thirty-six variants), to the songwriting-credit controversies surrounding a young Olivia Rodrigo and a seemingly pointed jab at Charli xcx in “Actually Romantic” (calling her a coke addict… how creative). So many songs on “The Life of a Showgirl” and “The Encore” are infused with a negativity and emotional distance that I have never seen from any of her albums. And part of me feels like that’s because she’s finally realized the truth: she could release anything and the fans and critics will always listen, and the money will always pour in, solely because she is Taylor Swift.
I don’t think it’s as simple as defining Taylor Swift as a good or bad person. Because it’s becoming more and more clear that “Taylor Swift” is never someone we’ll truly know. The teenage girl jotting down lyrics with glitter pen has become a corporation, which capitalizes on the very people who once felt seen by her music.