The song begins with a dramatic violin, setting a haunting tone. It is then joined by a jovial, bouncy beat. This beat does not mesh well with the violin refrain. I was left puzzled as to what vibe this was meant to invoke. The beat, particularly in the drums, is consistent with the sound of the rest of “The Life of a Showgirl” but not within the song itself. I was intrigued by the orchestral hook, which was teased in early promo of the song, yet it disappears entirely under the generic beat. Swift has used orchestral arrangements to her advantage in the past, particularly in “Wildest Dreams” of her 2014 album “1989.” This wasted potential made for a frustrating listening experience.

Swift’s voice is largely one-note throughout the song, with even the bridge being almost entirely spoken rather than sung. It’s entirely unrealistic to expect Swift to be able to reach the same vocal range of her early 20s over a decade later, but my problem lies in the lack of emotion in the performance. You could feel anger in “All Too Well” and happiness in “Lover.” In “Patient Zero,” is she happy? Is she sad, regretful or wistful? It’s hard to say.

Then again, songwriting is Swift’s forte. There is a quiz on BuzzFeed called “Who Said It – Taylor Swift or Shakespeare?” I would not directly compare the two, but it is undeniable Swift has been recognized for her detailed and imaginative lyrics in albums past. I had high expectations in this category, and they were unfortunately not met.

The chorus of “Patient Zero”  is a long, convoluted string of words I found difficult to understand on my first listen. The main line, “If you wanna party with somebody who might know about the devil on his shoulder under his halo,” is a 27-syllable mouthful. What does it mean? Beats me. Not to say that a lyric must be dumbed down to be well written, but some of Swift's most impactful lyrics in years past have been short, such as "Loving him was red."

Swift is also highly regarded for her deeply emotional bridges, so being met with a monologue was a little jarring. The tone Swift maintains is that of a wiser woman, whispering local high society gossip into your ear. Sure, but there is no depth beyond that. Swift's character has seen the "devil on (the man's) shoulder," but does she hold any anger or resentment towards him? Not apparently.

Actress Dakota Johnson plays a woman in a troubled marriage to a man, played by actor Colin Farrell, with a dark past. Swift is the ghost of his late wife and haunts Johnson, reminiscent of the film “What Lies Beneath.” The video is well made, with clearly high production value. Swift and Johnson mirror each other visually, through split shots and even their hairstyles. It’s an “I had him first” song with a bit of a twist, more of a warning than a spiteful diatribe against the “replacement wife.” The setting of a vast, cold mansion was atmospherically gorgeous. The entire video had the look of a Hollywood movie, which calls back to the motif of "show business" in the album.

I liked the concept, but the sound was too upbeat to really mesh with the darker aspects of the idea. It’s a shame, really, as there was so much potential in the concept that the execution did not live up to. I believe Swift is in an artistic transitional period, but “Patient Zero” is not an example of her best work.