Nearly a year after the release of Taylor Swift’s 12th studio album “The Life of a Showgirl,” Swift returns with the deluxe edition titled, “The Encore,” consisting of four brand-new songs and a new music video. The deluxe was released on Sept. 25th, and Swift quickly climbed the charts, with her new single “Patient Zero” hitting number one. After mixed reviews on “The Life of a Showgirl,” there was a lot of apprehension, hype, and expectations about what the deluxe would sound like.
After multiple listens, it’s safe to say that this is classic Taylor Swift–they’re glitter gel pen, pop, magical, and dance-worthy. It’s clear she’s returned to her true pop roots after a brief intermission with “The Tortured Poets Department.”
“The Encore” opens with the single “Patient Zero.” This song explores the perspective of a person warning their ex’s new partner about his poor qualities and narcissistic tendencies. The title is a metaphor for being the first person, or patient, to experience, or be infected by, the toxicity of their ex. In the song, the speaker provides comfort to the new partner about the situation: “But if you’re sick of him, I got you, I was patient zero.”
While the content of the song is dark, it has that classic pop beat that makes it impossible not to bop your head to. The catchiest part is the ending of the song, “Felt the reeling, done the healing, said the curses and prayers.”
The next track is “Cleveland!” which has gotten a lot of attention online, with many people finding it a bit juvenile and others finding it a fun track. This song acts as a message to critics over Swift’s recent marriage and current relationship, opening with an iconic and clearly ironic line: “She’s not as hot as she was, but she was only a four.” It’s obvious that this song is about Travis Kelce, as it mentions his hometown and identifiable facts. The track explores Swift’s relationship with Kelce, a trip to his hometown, and her overall satisfaction with the marriage. It’s a fun love song, reminiscent of the sort of playful and puerile style of “So High School” from “The Tortured Poets Department,” but enamoring either way. The song declares that “You only need to find one person in this entire world / Who doesn’t find you completely insufferable,” and a fan-favorite line is “Now I’m wearing white, so hate all you like / This is the love of my life.” This is undoubtedly romantic and the beat makes it impossible not to dance around your room!
The third track of the deluxe is titled “Pink Clouding,” and it takes a drastic turn from the romantic and cheesy vibe of “Cleveland!” Instead of a romantic dedication, this one is about regret over a past, toxic relationship, where the speaker regrets how she treated her partner: “And you were so good / That’s why you haunt me like you should.” This track is full of synths with a very bubbly pop melody, which juxtaposes its darker lyrics. The “Pink Clouding” is a metaphor for being stuck in a haze world and decisions without that tinted worldview.
The final track is “Babylon,” and this track is a bit slower than the rest. While the others are upbeat and bouncy, this one is more mellow and monotonous. This song depicts the aftermath of a relationship and encapsulates the feeling of not truly appreciating something until it is gone: “You’re using nostalgia as a weapon to hurt yourself / But darling, you end up hurting everybody else.” Swift perfectly depicts realizing what you had too late. The chorus of this track is touching and memorable. “You wake up on the train with your headphones gone / Then that melody is all you want / You never knew that it was Babylon.”
On Sept. 27th, two nights after the release of the deluxe, the music video for “Patient Zero” premiered at the VMAs. The video is directed by Swift and stars Dakota Johnson, Colin Farrell, Swift herself. The music video is aesthetically pleasing and follows Taylor Swift as a ghost who oversees the toxic relationship between the characters of Johnson and Farrell and attempts to warn the new woman about the man’s toxicity.
The deluxe and final music video officially marks the end of this era. After various hits on the original album and a record-breaking premiere of the deluxe, along with bringing home three VMAs for this album, Swift has most definitely put in an immeasurable amount of work into this era. And that’s show business, baby!
