Following the release of its expanded The Encore edition, The Life Of A Showgirl claims its fifth non-consecutive week at the summit, coinciding with the exact one-year anniversary of its original release.
"Patient Zero" becomes Swift’s eighth UK Number 1 single and her third chart-topper of 2026, following "Opalite" and "I Knew It, I Knew You." The feat makes her the only artist to achieve three UK Number 1 singles in 2026 so far. The Life Of A Showgirl also becomes her first album to produce three UK Number 1 singles. Fellow new tracks "Cleveland" (3) and "Babylon" (4) also debuted inside the Top 5. Swift has now achieved the Official Chart Double with five distinct album-and-single pairings, securing the milestone every year since 2022. Across her career, she holds 14 UK Number 1 albums—the most for any female artist in chart history.
All four songs were written with Max Martin and Shellback after Swift travelled to Sweden to celebrate the record-breaking success of ‘The Life Of A Showgirl’.
Lead single ‘Patient Zero’ is a glossy pop track built around electronic percussion and a swooning string line, with Swift using infection as a metaphor for a destructive relationship.
Elsewhere on the Singles Chart, Jamie Miller’s "Babydoll" jumps to a new peak of Number 6, while Madonna earns three Top 40 hits from CONFESSIONS II, led by the Kylie Minogue collaboration "Love Sensation" at Number 8. Oasis classic "Don’t Look Back In Anger" also re-enters the Top 30 at Number 29 amid ongoing tour excitement.
On the Albums Chart, UK indie band Keo enter at Number 2 with their debut record Put A Smile On For Me, shifting 23,500 chart units to become the first UK male band since Blossoms in 2016 to top 20,000 first-week units with a debut. Nothing But Thieves secure their fourth consecutive Top 5 album with Stray Dogs at Number 3, while Soft Cell claim their 11th Top 40 album with Danceteria at Number 26.
