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Taylor Swift teases ‘Patient Zero’ music video with Dakota Johnson, Colin Farrell: What to know about The Encore

Taylor Swift teases her Patient Zero music video with Dakota Johnson and Colin Farrell as The Encore adds four new songs to The Life of a Showgirl.

Updated on: Sep 24, 2026, 19:01:44 IST
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Taylor Swift has given fans a first look at the upcoming music video for her new song “Patient Zero.” The singer shared a 13-second teaser on Thursday, September 24, during CBS Mornings.

Taylor Swift teases Patient Zero music video with Dakota Johnson and Colin Farrell. (AP Photo/Lewis Joly, File) (AP Photo/Lewis Joly)
Taylor Swift teases Patient Zero music video with Dakota Johnson and Colin Farrell. (AP Photo/Lewis Joly, File) (AP Photo/Lewis Joly)

The music video will feature Taylor Swift, Dakota Johnson and Colin Farrell. The video also has a major name behind the camera — Oscar-winning cinematographer Emmanuel Lubezki, known for his work on The Revenant, Birdman and Gravity, according to People.

Patient Zero music video

The short teaser has a dark and romantic feel. It shows Swift washing her hands, two bodies falling into water, a black rose, two women standing near a gravesite and Swift with tears on her face.

The 13-second clip gives fans several mysterious images to decode. Dakota Johnson's appearance appears to connect with one of Swift's earlier Easter eggs.

Patient Zero release date

The full “Patient Zero” music video will premiere on Sunday, September 27, during the 2026 MTV Video Music Awards. The song itself is scheduled to be released on Friday, September 25.

Swift announced “Patient Zero” on Tuesday, September 22. One day later, on September 23, she announced an expanded version of her album The Life of a Showgirl, called The Life of a Showgirl: The Encore.

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The Encore new songs

The Encore will contain four new songs. They are “Patient Zero,” “Pink Clouding,” “Babylon” and “Cleveland!” The expanded album is available for preorder and will be released on Friday, September 25.

Taylor Swift Emmy clues

In the Emmy sketch, Swift and Hargitay jokingly tried to figure out whether Swift would appear at the awards. Swift then gave a series of strange clues, saying “Saccharide. Aries. From the vineyard. North or south.” Hargitay asked her what she had said, and Swift replied that she had said nothing.

Fans quickly began trying to decode the clues. Swifties on social media eventually pulled letters from the words and found that they spelled “ENCORE.” This later became the name of Swift's expanded edition of The Life of a Showgirl.

Swift was also recently in the spotlight away from music. On September 20, she attended a Kansas City Chiefs game to support her husband, Travis Kelce.

After Kelce scored his first touchdown of the season, Swift celebrated from the stands and pointed toward her wedding ring while shouting, “That’s my husband!” Swift and Kelce married on July 3 at Madison Square Garden.

Swift's recent music run has also included “I Knew It, I Knew You,” which she released in June for the Toy Story 5 soundtrack. “I Knew It, I Knew You” became Swift's 15th No. 1 single on the Billboard Hot 100. The new “Patient Zero” release now adds another major music moment to her busy September.

  • Durva More
    ABOUT THE AUTHOR
    Durva More

    Durva More is a Senior Content Producer at Hindustan Times, where she covers finance, and global news. She brings experience across digital and television journalism, with a strong focus on breaking news, business reporting, and international affairs. Before joining Hindustan Times, Durva worked as an International News Writer at The Economic Times, covering a diverse range of subjects including global politics, business, sports, entertainment, and major world events. She also worked as a Business Reporter with NDTV Profit. A postgraduate diploma holder in Journalism from the Asian College of Journalism, Durva is passionate about field reporting and storytelling. She thrives on the adrenaline of chasing stories, speaking with people from different walks of life, and amplifying voices that deserve to be heard. Her reporting is driven by curiosity, accuracy, and a commitment to making complex subjects accessible to readers. When she is not chasing stories or covering breaking news, Durva enjoys reading books and painting. She loves exploring new ideas, meeting people, and learning about different perspectives. For her, both journalism and art are ways to understand the world and tell stories that matter.Read More

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