Taylor Swift remained at the summit of the U.K. Official Singles Chart for a third straight week as “Patient Zero” continued to lead sales and streams across Britain, the chart showed Friday.
Single’s run and context
“Patient Zero,” which appears on the Encore deluxe edition of Swift’s latest studio album, The Life of a Showgirl, has now been Britain’s top song for three weeks. The single is Swift’s third U.K. No. 1 of 2026, joining “Opalite” and the Toy Story 5 track “I Knew It, I Knew You.”
- “Patient Zero” was one of four new songs added to the Encore deluxe edition of the album.
- Swift premiered the single’s music video at the 2026 MTV Video Music Awards, where she also received the inaugural MTV VMA Artist Director Honors award.
- The 2026 VMAs took place at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles.
The song’s chart performance follows a high-profile awards and video push. Swift debuted the music video for “Patient Zero” at the VMAs and accepted the Artist Director Honors, an award recognizing her work behind the camera as well as her music.
“I got to start making music videos and being a part of music videos 20 years ago, and since then I’ve gotten to be a part of making 60 music videos, roughly 60,” Swift said at the VMAs, according to Billboard. “Eighteen of those I wrote and directed, and I really love writing and directing music videos.”
Billboard reported Swift’s remarks at the ceremony, where she also thanked fans for their role in the reception of her visual work. The VMAs appearance and the video premiere correspond with the single’s sustained popularity in the U.K.
Chart landscape and recent entries
On the latest Official Singles Chart, British singer Jamie Miller held the No. 2 spot with “Babydoll,” while Ashe placed No. 3 with “Stop the Wedding!” The continued presence of Swift at No. 1 underscores her ongoing commercial strength in major music markets this year.
Swift’s chart success in the U.K. adds to a year of pronounced activity for the artist, including the expanded release of The Life of a Showgirl and public appearances tied to the album’s singles and videos.
Swift, who married NFL player Travis Kelce earlier this year, has remained a frequent presence in awards ceremonies and major music events as she promotes new material.
