Taylor Swift recently surprised her fans with the announcement of a new single, Patient Zero. The announcement came after the pop star’s Emmy Awards surprise appearance. While fans were excited by the news, some were less impressed with the track’s cover, which they criticized as a possible Photoshop failure.
Swift wore a sleeveless black turtleneck dress as she posed against a concrete wall. The Cruel Summer crooner left her locks open and gave a stern look at the camera. Besides her signature red lipstick, she opted for black smoky eye makeup.
Her post came with an announcement about her new song. She wrote, “I’ve been impatiently waiting to tell you that my brand new single ‘Patient Zero’ will be out on September 25 (!!!!!!!!!!!!).” “It’s available to pre-order now on my website for 24 hours,” she added.
Her announcement received more than 6.8 million likes on Instagram, with fans expressing their excitement for the upcoming track. However, the extra-smooth picture caught viewers’ attention. Many also claimed that the contour between her arm and underarm was hard to distinguish.
An X user commented, “The Photoshop on Taylor Swift’s ‘Patient Zero’ cover is horrendous… girl, you’re a billionaire, please get a professional photographer.” Another critic penned, “No shade, but they edited her armpit to HELL.” Viewers claimed that Swift’s side of the arm did not have any natural lines.
The photoshop on Taylor Swift’s “Patient Zero“ cover is horrendous… girl you’re a billionaire, please get a professional photographer! pic.twitter.com/NOF1EJVZa8
— ItsJamesAdams (@ItsJamesAdams) September 22, 2026
A third one pointed out that the picture appeared to be an AI-generated one. “I’m so sorry, but why does the side of her look so poorly edited? It looks way over-airbrushed and almost AI,” the user wrote. Another critic noted, “The FaceApp blur, the badly cropped picture, the tilted horizon… she just pissed me off so bad.”
A fan also offered to edit Swift’s pictures for free. Some others claimed that despite the mishap, the Love Story crooner’s new song will “shine through forever and always.”
Meanwhile, according to the Daily Mail, Swifties can preorder three different versions of her track. These versions include acoustic and piano singles. Her song is currently available for $3.99.
Besides her new track, Swifties will also celebrate a prestigious honor at the 2026 MTV Video Music Awards. The You Belong With Me singer currently has 30 VMA wins in her name. According to Billboard, the pop star will receive the inaugural Artist Director Honors during the upcoming award ceremony.
A press release from the awards said that the honor recognizes “groundbreaking music artists whose work behind the camera has expanded the possibilities of music video and advanced the art of visual storytelling.” It also celebrates “a sustained and influential body of work from artists who have pushed creative boundaries and developed a clear directorial voice.”
Swift was previously nominated seven times for best direction at the awards. Among her many nominations, she took the Moon Person trophy home four times. She made her solo directorial debut with her 2020 single The Man. She later made her filmmaking debut with All Too Well: The Short Film.
Swift also directed her tracks Cardigan, Willow, Anti-Hero, Fortnight, Opalite, and more. The upcoming honor will be a notable one for her, as she is tied with Beyoncé at 30 VMAs.
