Taylor Swift’s new ‘Encore’ songs, ranked from worst to best

Key Points:

• Taylor Swift released “The Life of a Showgirl: The Encore,” an expanded edition of her 2025 album, adding four bonus tracks nearly a year after the original launch, which had the biggest opening week ever despite mixed reviews.
• The release follows Swift’s recent high-profile wedding to NFL star Travis Kelce and coincides with Grammy nomination decisions, where she is contending for her eighth Album of the Year nod, tying a record with Frank Sinatra.
• Swift collaborated with Max Martin and Shellback in Sweden to create the new songs, reflecting on her success and channeling her emotions into fresh material.
• The four bonus tracks vary in quality, with “Cleveland!” criticized for uninspired lyrics about her romance with Kelce, while “Patient Zero” features an interesting premise but awkward imagery.
• “Pink Clouding” stands out as the strongest track, a shimmering electro-pop song reflecting on a regretful rebound relationship, drawing on themes of addiction recovery euphoric phases.