Taylor Swift, the wealthiest woman in music, surprised fans on Tuesday by announcing her new song “Patient Zero” will be released on Friday, after teasing fans with hidden clues and a countdown on her website in typical Swift fashion.

“Patient Zero” will debut on streaming services Friday, though it’s not yet clear whether the song is tied to a new album or another forthcoming project.

The release will be Swift’s first since her high-profile marriage to Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce at Madison Square Garden in July, and her first single since her “Toy Story 5” soundtrack song “I Knew It, I Knew You” topped the charts this summer.

Should the song be part of a new album, it would be Swift’s first since “The Life of a Showgirl,” which shattered music sales records upon release in October but became one of Swift’s most critically divisive projects.

Fans first noticed an announcement may be on the horizon after Swift launched a countdown on her website and changed some of the letter “O”s in her social media bios to zeroes.

“I’ve been impatiently waiting to tell you that my brand new single ‘Patient Zero’ will be out on September 25 (!!!!!!!!!!!!) and it’s available to pre-order now on my website for 24 hours,” Swift said in posts on her social media profiles Tuesday.

Is Taylor Swift Releasing A New Album?

It’s not clear, as Swift did not mention any forthcoming album in her social media posts Tuesday. Fans, though, have theorized the new song may be part of an upcoming deluxe edition of “The Life of a Showgirl,” or may be part of a new album entirely. Swifties have also long theorized the singer may be preparing to release a re-recorded version of “Taylor Swift,” her 2006 debut album, to celebrate its 20th anniversary. Swift, though, hasn’t released a new re-recorded version of one of her older albums—originally a project to reclaim her master recordings—since she bought back her masters last year.

The MTV Video Music Awards announced Monday that Swift will receive the inaugural Artist Director Honors award at this year’s ceremony on Sunday. The new award is meant to honor “groundbreaking music artists whose work behind the camera has expanded the possibilities of music video and advanced the art of visual storytelling” and “celebrates a sustained and influential body of work from artists who have pushed creative boundaries and developed a clear directorial voice.” It’s not yet clear whether Swift will attend, or perform her new song, at the ceremony.

Whether Swift will be the one to dethrone rising country star Ella Langley from her record-shattering run atop the Billboard Hot 100 chart. Swift, who is no stranger to topping the chart, would earn her 16th No. 1 hit if “Patient Zero” hits the top spot. Langley, meanwhile, just logged her 23rd week at No. 1 with “Choosin’ Texas,” usurping the all-time record from Mariah Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas Is You,” which has topped the chart for 22 weeks.

Swift is worth $2 billion, according to Forbes estimates . She became a billionaire in 2023 following the success of her record-shattering Eras Tour, becoming the first musician to amass a ten-digit fortune based solely on the value of her music catalog and concert tours. Swift has since doubled her net worth following the conclusion of the tour and the release of “The Life of a Showgirl,” which sold just over 4 million units in its first week, the biggest debut for an album on the Billboard charts.

How Taylor Swift’s Net Worth Has More Than Doubled Since She Became A Billionaire (Forbes)