Taylor Swift’s “Patient Zero,” released September 25 as the lead track on the four-song *The Life of a Showgirl: The Encore* deluxe, opened with 13.7 million global Spotify streams on day one—the biggest single-day total for any female artist in 2026—while claiming the top spot on Spotify’s global chart. The song’s early momentum stems from Swift’s massive fanbase, strong pre-release social buzz, and the surprise deluxe announcement, though daily streams dropped sharply afterward and critical reception for the Encore has been mixed, with a low Metacritic score. The music video premiere at the September 27 VMAs provided an additional catalyst, while traders weigh these figures against Swift’s prior record-breaking releases and typical post-debut decay patterns when assessing first-week totals through October 1.