Taylor Swift’s “Patient Zero,” a bonus track off the re-release of her latest album “The Life of Showgirl,” has garnered both love and hate from fans and critics alike since its release on Sept. 25, 2026. While some fans praised the song, others were quick to criticize the song for its long lyrics, awkward cadence and shallowness. Regardless, the song quickly rose to the top of the charts, becoming No. 1 on the Digital Song Sales chart on the Billboard Hot 100 for three consecutive weeks. Its position on the charts is clear, but the question of what got it to the charts remains.
In addition to criticisms of the song’s quality, one issue that critics take with the song is its title. The term “patient zero” can be associated with the painfulhistory of early HIV and AIDS research, having evolved into something of an insult against the LGBTQ+ community. Swift’s use of a term with a difficult history created backlash. An additional controversy was sparked by the close release timing of “Patient Zero” and Olivia Rodrigo’s “expectations” remix, generating speculation that Swift was engaging in chart-blocking.
Despite the controversies, the song is still trending and is currently one of the most popular songs on Spotify and other music streaming platforms, allowing us to examine the reality of what makes a song popular. Although the song was criticized by many, any song released by an artist with years of performing experience and a strong pre-existing fanbase, as is the case with Swift and her fans, gives the song an advantage. Many people will listen to the song just because it was released by Taylor Swift, regardless of the quality of the song.
Additionally, Taylor Swift’s re-release of “The Life of a Showgirl,” which included four new tracks, including “Patient Zero,” is the first music she has released since her marriage on July 3, 2026. This type of preamble would create the right conditions and anticipation for a strong song release.
Another topic to consider is the bad press of controversy. As observed with the chart-blocking allegations, having a little controversy can also help boost numbers, as people look into it to realize why there is all this hype. Remember the saying: all press is good press. Another aspect to consider would be the follow-up after a song release, such as a music video, having multiple covers/versions of the song, and whether the song is part of something more, such as “Patient Zero” being part of “The Showgirl: Encore” project for Swift. All these factors contribute to a song’s popularity, so while “Patient Zero” is popular and at the top of the charts, that does not necessarily mean that the song is well-liked. Some might listen out of loyalty, some out of curiosity, and others because it is the center of controversy.
While the quality of “Patient Zero” is debated, the song’s high ranking may not be a strong indication of its popularity. There are many factors that go into a song’s success. And while more listens usually mean the song is more liked, those listens can occur because the song is in the public’s view, such as becoming audio for short-form content or playing in stores. In conclusion, a song can have a high streaming rate and still be surrounded by controversy, indicating that those high numbers might not mean that people like the song.
The Student Movement is the official student newspaper of Andrews University. Opinions expressed in the Student Movement are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the editors, Andrews University or the Seventh-day Adventist church.