Tears, shadows and star power: Taylor Swift’s ‘Patient Zero’ to debut at VMAs on Sunday

A cemetery, a rush of water, tears and fleeting glimpses of two Hollywood stars, Taylor Swift has offered a cryptic first look at the music video for “Patient Zero”, ahead of its world premiere at the MTV Video Music Awards on Sunday.

The video for Taylor Swift’s new song will premiere during the VMAs on CBS and MTV, and will stream on Paramount+ Premium in the US, according to a USA Today report.

CBS and MTV had announced the premiere on Thursday, when a teaser clip was also released.


The exclusive debut continues the VMAs’ tradition of bringing artists and audiences together for major live music moments and giving performers a global stage to introduce new work.

The video features guest stars Colin Farrell and Dakota Johnson, with Swift directing and Oscar winner Emmanuel Lubezki handling cinematography.

“Patient Zero” is one of the new songs on The Life of a Showgirl: The Encore, the expanded version of Swift’s The Life of a Showgirl album. The expanded album features four previously unreleased songs, “Patient Zero,” “Cleveland!,” “Pink Clouding” and “Babylon.”

A 13-second preview of the video was unveiled on CBS Mornings before Swift shared the teaser on her social media accounts. Farrell and Johnson appear briefly in the clip, alongside images of a cemetery, water and Swift crying.

Swift announced on Wednesday that the expanded version of The Life of a Showgirl would be released Friday, with “Patient Zero” serving as its first single.

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Hosted by Snoop Dogg, the VMAs will air Sunday from 7:30-9:30 p.m. ET on CBS, simulcast on MTV and stream on Paramount+ Premium in the US. The show will also be available globally the following day on Paramount+ and MTV.