Taylor Swift’s ‘Patient Zero’ Debuts at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100

Taylor Swift has returned to the top of the Billboard Hot 100 with “Patient Zero,” which debuted at No. 1 in its first week on the chart, Variety reported. The song displaced Ella Langley’s “Choosin’ Texas,” which fell one position to No. 2 after its record-breaking run at the top.

Swift released four new tracks heading into the chart week as part of her The Life of a Showgirl: The Encore project, and all four opened inside the Hot 100’s top five, according to Variety. After “Patient Zero” at No. 1 and “Choosin’ Texas” at No. 2, Swift’s “Cleveland!,” “Babylon” and “Pink Clouding” debuted at Nos. 3, 4 and 5, respectively.

Key facts about Taylor Swift’s ‘Patient Zero’ chart debut

Detail	What is known
Hot 100 position	No. 1
Chart achievement	Swift’s 16th No. 1 song
No. 1 debuts	10, tying Drake’s record
Other Swift top-five songs	“Cleveland!,” “Babylon” and “Pink Clouding”
Previous No. 1	Ella Langley’s “Choosin’ Texas”
Langley’s current position	No. 2
Related album	The Life of a Showgirl

‘Patient Zero’ gives Swift her 16th Hot 100 No. 1

Variety reported that “Patient Zero” becomes Swift’s 16th No. 1 song on the Hot 100. That moves her closer to the two artists the outlet said still have more chart-topping singles: the Beatles with 20 and Mariah Carey with 19.

The debut also puts Swift level with another record holder. Variety, citing Billboard, reported that Swift now has 10 songs that have debuted at No. 1 on the Hot 100, tying Drake, who had previously held the solo record.

Swift’s impact on the chart extends well beyond the top position this week. Variety reported that she occupies four of the Hot 100’s top five spots with the songs released for The Life of a Showgirl: The Encore. “Cleveland!” entered at No. 3, “Babylon” at No. 4 and “Pink Clouding” at No. 5.

‘Choosin’ Texas’ slips to No. 2

Ella Langley’s “Choosin’ Texas” moved down just one place to No. 2 as “Patient Zero” arrived at the summit, according to Variety. The outlet described Langley’s run at No. 1 as record-breaking and said the coming weeks could determine whether she retains the record for the song with the most weeks at No. 1.

Variety reported that Mariah Carey could again become a factor later in the year. The outlet said “All I Want for Christmas Is You” is highly likely to return to No. 1 for at least a couple of weeks during December, as it usually does, creating the possibility that Carey could overtake “Choosin’ Texas” unless Langley adds more weeks at the top before then.

How long “Patient Zero” remains at No. 1 could therefore affect that race. Variety noted that the timing of Swift’s run may determine whether “Choosin’ Texas” has an opportunity to return to the top before Carey’s holiday hit reappears.

Swift also returns to No. 1 on the Billboard 200

Swift’s Hot 100 success follows another chart milestone for The Life of a Showgirl. Variety reported that the album returned to No. 1 on the Billboard 200 one day before news of “Patient Zero” reaching the top of the singles chart.

According to Variety, The Life of a Showgirl returned to the Billboard 200 summit for the first time since January and has now accumulated 13 weeks at No. 1. The outlet noted that Billboard and Luminate count the original album and the expanded Encore edition together as one release.

The four newly released Encore tracks have now given Swift a dominant presence at the top of the singles chart as well, with every one of them opening inside the top five.

Physical single sales could affect week two

Variety reported that Swift has a strong chance of spending a second week at No. 1 with “Patient Zero.” One factor is the timing of physical sales: fans who preordered physical copies of the single have received notices that their orders are shipping this week.

According to Variety, those physical sales will count toward the song’s second charting week. The outlet said that could strengthen “Patient Zero” as it tries to remain ahead of “Choosin’ Texas” and the rest of the Hot 100.

The remainder of this week’s top 10 includes Stella Lefty’s “Boston” at No. 6, Morgan Wallen’s “Been by Now” at No. 7, Ariana Grande’s “Hate That I Made You Love Me” at No. 8, Olivia Rodrigo’s “Stupid Song” at No. 9 and Tame Impala and Jennie’s “Dracula” at No. 10, Variety reported.

Frequently asked questions

What song is No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100?

Variety reported that Taylor Swift’s “Patient Zero” debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, replacing Ella Langley’s “Choosin’ Texas.”

How many No. 1 songs does Taylor Swift have?

Variety reported that “Patient Zero” is Taylor Swift’s 16th No. 1 song on the Hot 100. The outlet said only the Beatles, with 20, and Mariah Carey, with 19, have more.

What other Taylor Swift songs are in the Hot 100 top five?

Variety reported that “Cleveland!” debuted at No. 3, “Babylon” at No. 4 and “Pink Clouding” at No. 5, giving Swift four of the top five positions.