Taylor Swift has released The Life of a Showgirl: The Encore, an expanded edition of her 2025 album featuring four new songs: "Patient Zero," "Cleveland!," "Pink Clouding," and "Babylon." The release represents a reversal of her earlier position that the original 12-track record was complete and final, with the new material created in response to the album's record-breaking opening-week reception. Swift has described the new tracks as "born out of pure gratitude" for the fans' enthusiastic response.

The new songs were not leftover material from the original sessions but were written after the album's successful debut, when Swift returned to Sweden to work with producers Max Martin and Shellback. "Patient Zero" has been released as the lead single from the expanded edition, arriving days before the 2026 MTV VMAs on 27 September, where The Life of a Showgirl is nominated for Best Album and Swift will receive the newly created Artist Director Honor.