Taylor Swift fans are convinced they have identified the subject of her new song Patient Zero, suggesting it offers insight into another of her past relationships. The 36-year-old singer-songwriter has released four new tracks as part of the deluxe expanded edition titled The Life of a Showgirl: The Encore.
The new songs include Patient Zero, Pink Clouding, Babylon and Cleveland!. Fans quickly linked Cleveland! to her husband Travis Kelce's hometown in Ohio, and many also believe Patient Zero is about her romance with Joe Alwyn. The couple dated for six years between 2017 and 2023 but, after facing backlash about previous relationships, kept this one as private as possible.
Lyrics Point to a 'Social-Climbing Ex'
With some describing the relationship as toxic, fans claim Swift documents a 'social-climbing ex' throughout the song. In Patient Zero, Swift sings about "the devil on his shoulder under his halo," suggesting appearances can be deceptive.
Other lyrics reference an ex stepping into the spotlight after dating her, with English actor Joe relatively unknown outside the UK before their romance. She sings: "I bet he burst into your life like fireworks/I bet he even said "I love you" first/And when you saw another woman coming out of his place/I bet he kissed the rain of your face."
She continues: "I know he charmed your family and friends/And you thought it's 'cause he loves you/But it's 'cause he loves how everybody loves him." Another line reads: "I know it seems like he shines bright/But he's bathing in your reflected light/On a free social climb."
Fans Draw Parallels to Previous Tracks
Fans believe the single has similarities to her 2022 track You're Losing Me, widely thought to be about Joe. In that song, she sings: "Stop (Stop, stop), you’re losing me / I can’t find a pulse, my heart won’t start anymore," which fans claim is eerily similar to Patient Zero's "When the toxins take their hold / You’d rather die than let it go."
Sharing theories on X, one user said: "Patient zero is not about Matty. How do you figure he charmed her family and friends? Patient zero is 100% about Joe Alwyn." Another added: "Streets are saying Patient Zero is basically a diss track that ‘warns’ Sarah Pidgeon about Joe Alwyn."
Meanwhile, a third user theorised: "So my Patient Zero theory is that she wrote this song for Sophie Turner amidst her very public divorce with Joe Jonas. Joe and Taylor were each other’s first public romances, making her “Patient Zero”." They added: "She heard the rumours about their breakup, and wasn’t surprised when Sophie called: lyrics from You’re Not Sorry: 'you used to shine so bright but I watched all of it fade' Patient Zero: 'I know it seems like he shines so bright, but he’s bathing in your reflected light'."
The user concluded: "Mr. Perfectly Fine vs Patient Zero lyrics both describe a guy that seems to be perfect at first, someone who is good at charming people to get what they want. Someone Taylor wasn’t surprised to learn had never really changed."
